Can Coyotes find positives in loss?
Arizona has base to build on with Ducks up next
The Coyotes didn’t get the result they wanted in their regular-season opener in Dallas, but there are still positives they can gather from Thursday’s 3-0 loss.
First, it’s important to note that the Stars are a formidable team (one that missed the playoffs last season by just three points) and were playing in front of their home crowd on opening night. They also have one of the best top lines in hockey with Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov.
That line was extremely effective against the Coyotes on Thursday, controlling play at over 55 percent and scoring one goal (Radulov) during the 12-plus minutes the unit was on the ice together. The Stars’ second unit of Blake Comeau,
SATURDAY’S GAME
Ducks at Coyotes When: 6 p.m. Where: Gila River Arena. TV/Radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620).
Jason Spezza and Mattias Janmark also registered 12 total shot attempts and al-
lowed just six for a 67 percent control rate.
But the Stars didn’t get much from their bottom six, as their third and fourth lines combined for just a 36 percent control rate. On the flipside, the Coyotes were much more consistent from top-to-bottom, even after head coach Rick Tocchet juggled his lines in the third period.
The game really came down to a 96second span in which the Stars scored all three of their goals.
If Oliver Ekman-Larsson had scored on a close-range shot, instead of the puck going off the post and wide, allowing the Stars to bring it back in transition, it’s a much different game. If Brendan Perlini falls back instead of diving at a puck (and missing it) in the neutral zone, it’s a much different game.
“After you watch the tape again,” Tocchet said. “We out-chanced them. Their top line — Seguin, Radulov and Benn — they just kind of outpaced us and played hard. I thought we had some guys that played well and other guys who were a step slow or hesitant.
“We still had some great chances. We hit some posts and crossbars. … There was still some little things we didn’t do well and that’s why I was upset after the game. That’s the difference between winning and losing.”
The Coyotes were victims of a few key breakdowns in a short amount of time and didn’t have much luck going their way, either. Still, the numbers suggest they might have actually been the better team on Thursday — even if the score didn't reflect that.
Each of the Coyotes’ four original lines to start the game controlled play at least 50 percent of the time, and three of them were over 60 percent. The Coyotes’ original second line of Clayton Keller, Vinnie Hinostroza and Perlini were at 69 percent and the third unit of Brad Richardson, Michael Grabner and Nick Cousins were at 61 percent.
After the Stars’ three-goal run midway through the second period, Tocchet began to double shift some guys and skip shifts for others. It wasn’t until the third period when the Coyotes had a regular rotation of four lines again, and they looked a little different.
Still, they were effective.
Ducks at Coyotes
Outlook: The Arizona Coyotes (0-1-0) take the ice at Gila River Arena for the first time this season when they host the Anaheim Ducks (1-0-0) on Saturday in Glendale. … The Coyotes lost their first game of the season, 3-0, on the road against the Dallas Stars on Thursday. … The Coyotes ended their 2017-18 season at home against the Ducks and lost that game, 3-0. … The Ducks took a 5-2 decision on the road against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday behind goals from Rickard Rakell, Isac Lundestrom, Carter Rowney and Brandon Montour. … Jakob Silfverberg and Rakell each notched a game-high three points in the win. … Goaltender John Gibson stopped 31 of 33 shots he faced on Wednesday.
Christian Fischer was bumped off the top line and Hinostroza began skating with Derek Stepan and Richard Panik. Dylan Strome was now centering Keller and Cousins. Richardson and Grabner picked up Fischer, and Mario Kempe centered a line with Lawson Crouse and Perlini.
Three of those four units finished with a control rate of over 60 percent, and all four combined to control play at a 69 percent rate over most of the third period, allowing just nine shot attempts compared to their 13.
But it takes more than simply outchancing and outshooting a team to win a game. The Coyotes would have benefited greatly from some extended time in their offensive zone, but instead most of their chances were one-and-done, as the Stars did a good job of backchecking and clearing the puck quickly.
The Coyotes will need to do a better job of capitalizing on the chances they are getting, as well as figuring out a way to turn one chance into two, and so on. It’s just one game — and one loss — but the Coyotes should nonetheless be encouraged by their play over most of Thursday’s game.
“There were some forwards that were just OK,” Tocchet said of Thursday’s game. “I don’t want to switch all the lines just because of those three-to-four guys. I’m hoping that everybody will bounce back. There might be a different tweak on some of the lines but I don’t want to blow up the lines.
“I don’t want to blow it up just because we didn’t score a goal. … I really don’t.”