IT CAME FROM OUT OF THE ICE : COYOTES (3) VS WILD (4) 11/9/19

IT CAME FROM OUT OF THE ICE : COYOTES (3) VS WILD (4)  11/9/19

CAPSULE : The Coyotes come into this one on a 2 game losing streak. Oddly it could have just as easily been a 4 game winning streak if the team had not given up leads in their last two games, and perhaps if they had been a little more effective on the Power Play.  They haven’t put the puck in the net on the PP in their last 11 tries. Coyotes sit just inside the Wildcard line with 20pts at 9-5-3. They also come into this game featuring the 2^nd best defense regarding goals allowed per game in the entire NHL.

The Wild are coming in off some rough times at 5-10-1 but they do have a recent win over Anaheim and a very solid effort against the Sharks.

DVORAK (18) – Had an assist and 3 shots on net.

YOU’RE KILLING ME SCHMALTZ  (8) – Had a perfect pass to Chychrun in the 1^st period for the Coyotes 2nd goal.

KESSEL (81) –  Was almost invisible on the ice tonight. Unfortunately he has not had a huge impact in the last 5 games or so.

WHEN I STARTED WATCHING HOCKEY – Hardly any players wore helmets and both the Whalers and Rockies were NHL teams.

THAT’S ONE SMART KELLER (9) – Gave the puck away early in the 2^nd period that lead to a Wild breakaway. He wisely defended on the play in such a way that it didn’t allow for a clean shot, and didn’t draw a penalty.

WATCH YOUR STEPAN (21) – Got taken down and slightly injured in the second. It was so far away from the play, that I am guessing the refs just didn’t see it. Pretty much the same thing happened in the 3^rd period, only that time the penalty did get called.

SECRETLY HAPPY – Every time the Kings get beat by another team.

GARLAND (83) – Probably the first time I have ever seen Garland not have at least 1 shot on goal after the first 2 periods.

WONDERING – How long it will be until people who buy the NISSAN ROGUE, will start putting a 1 after the model name on their vehicles.  

GRABNER  SELVES ANOTHER GOAL (40) – Directed a puck into the net past the Wild goalie in the 1^st. This from a dude that couldn’t get a pass on Thursday night when he was open on a breakaway if he would have been hold up a sign. Ness had a great play on this sequence that held the puck in the zone and had the Wild scrambling like crazy. Ness did pick up an assist.

RICHARDSON (15)  - Really good to see him back. He had a great opportunity early but put a close in shot right over the net in the 1^st.

PESTO AND PASTA HINOSTROZA (13) – Followed suit and like Richardson missed a wide open net in the 1^st, all this missing the net was on the same shift. He didn’t miss in the 2^nd period however putting one top shelf past Dubnyk for the Coyotes 3^rd goal of the game.  By the way, Dubnyk has one of the raddest goalie masks in the league. Hinostroza had another chance on a breakaway in the 2^nd period but hit the post. On the next drive down the ice for the Wild they scored to tie it at the time 3 to 3.

THIS CROUSE IS NOT FOR SALE (67) – Lead the team in hits on the night with 4. Tied with Richardson in that category.

HOTDOG & SODERBERG (34) – Got hit at the blue line in the 3^rd away from the puck and there was no call. A lot of this bad officiating was going on during the Columbus game on Thursday as well. This is coming from a dude that very rarely even brings up the officials.

FISCHER (36) – Not much going on for him tonight.

EKMAN-LARSSON  (23) – Had a ton of minutes, was all over the ice and had an assist. Not sure what more of an example of how to play he could have been, outside of scoring.

LYUBUSHKIN (46) – For some reason only had 12:00 minutes on the ice. The lowest on the team but had 3 hits, 2 blocks and a shot on goal. The only player more active than he was on the ice tonight for our defense, was Goligoski. I am pretty sure he must have stolen one of the coaches cars or something. Not sure what’s going on there.

CHYCHRUN (6) – Had a blistering shot in the 1^st that put the Coyotes up 2-0 at the time. It was his 4^th goal of the season.

GOLIGOSKI (33) – A pretty solid night for him, unfortunately that didn’t translate to keep the Wild out of our zone.

CLEAN UP THIS NESS (42) – His play in the 1^st lead directly to the Coyotes first goal. He did pick up an assist on the play. So far this season, he’s been a plus.

GH- OESTERLE  BUSTERS (82) – Had a penalty in the 2^nd that lead to a Wild goal. The Coyotes PK this year has been pretty bad. Going into this game they were 20^th overall in the league. Oesterle did have a nice assist to Hinostroza in the 2^nd, but man, these penalties are starting to kill this team.

KUEMPER (35) – Allowed 3 goals in the 2^nd period alone. That’s more goals than the Coyotes have been giving up per game so far this season.  A pretty rough outing for him tonight.

WRAP UP – There really isn’t any sugar coating this one. The Coyotes had another 2 goal lead and blew it. This is part of growing as a team, but the Coyotes need to start thinking about scoring more than 3 goals in a game. While they have one of the best goal tandems in the league, guys are going to have off nights and we have got to start picking them up in the 3^rd. Not panic time, right now, but we are sitting on 6 loses at this point and the team is in need of a winning streak.