Smith, Coyotes PK shine, but they lose 3-2 in shootout to Blue Jackets.
After he surpassed his career-high for saves, Coyotes goalie Mike Smith bent over in his crease during an ensuing stoppage in play looking as fatigued as it sounds to stop 55 pucks in a single game.
But Smith had more work to do, turning aside another three shots to reach a host of milestones.
The most saves since he joined the NHL, in franchise history and by a goalie this season.
“Stellar,” coach Dave Tippett said. “He was stellar.”
What flatters Smith, though, doesn’t always reflect well on the Coyotes as they wasted his record-setting 58 saves by coughing up a third-period lead to the Blue Jackets before fading 3-2 in a shootout Saturday in front of 11,287 at Gila River Arena in the first game of another back-to-back against the same opponent.
The Coyotes visit Columbus Monday; they played a similar set against the Oilers last week, hosting the Oilers before going to Edmonton and ended up sweeping both games.
“Frustrated would be a good word,” Smith said.
“But it’s even worse than that I think right now. It’s just at some point you’d like to see your team move forward and take steps in the right direction to start having a chance to win hockey games. It seems like once we take one step forward, we’re taking a couple back.
“It’s tough to play like that in this league and expect to win hockey games.”
Columbus wingers Cam Atkinson and Sam Gagner scored in the shootout, while wingers Anthony Duclair and Radim Vrbata missed for the Coyotes.
Center Alexander Wennberg tied it at 2 at 17:44 of the third period, slipping a backhand five-hole on Smith after receiving a pass from winger Brandon Saad – this after the Coyotes survived a critical 5-on-3 power play.
Smith also made two saves during that chance, which also included a key shot block by defenseman Kevin Connauton.
Overall, Arizona’s penalty killers survived all five of Columbus’ opportunities – a strong showing, especially considering the Blue Jackets power play entered the game as the best in the NHL (25.9 percent).
The Coyotes’ penalty killers, who were ranked 22nd before the puck dropped, are in the midst of their most productive run of the season – going 23-for-24 in their last seven games.
“That’s one of the bright spots,” Tippett said. “It’s doing its job. Mike’s cleaning up a lot of messes there, too.”
Both teams had golden chances in overtime; Smith got a toe on a Nick Foligno attempt and stopped Wennberg on a breakaway.
And captain Shane Doan kept the shot on a rush with winger Max Domi, but had his shot turned aside by Blue Jackets backup Curtis McElhinney.
“I knew Max was there, and I thought about passing,” Doan said. “I should have passed it. He’s probably going to score there.”
McElhinney finished with 32 saves, almost double Smith’s workload.
With 58 saves, 22 of which came in the third period, Smith has made at least 40 saves four times this season. This was also the third game in the last four he’s faced at least 40 shots.
The 60 shots faced by Smith was a franchise record, surpassing the 55 Nikolai Khabibulin saw Jan. 28, 1997, and Smith broke his own franchise record for most saves in a game as he had 54 also against the Blue Jackets Apr. 12, 2012.
“That’s like 1980s,” Doan said. “It’s pretty impressive what he did. Very impressive.”
The Blue Jackets opened the scoring only 13 seconds into the game, winning the initial puck drop before swooping into the Coyotes’ zone with defenseman Jack Johnson finding winger Boone Jenner in the slot for a wrist shot.
Columbus went on to dictate the rest of the period, carrying a 12-5 edge in shots that was 12-1 near the end of the period.
Early in the second, Vrbata settled an Oliver Ekman-Larsson pass on the power play before sending the puck by McElhinney 1:03 into the period for Vrbata’s teamleading eighth goal and 17th point.
Arizona finished 1-for-5 with the man advantage and has scored three power play goals in the last two games.