Coyotes look to fix scoring woes vs. Ducks

Even as the Coyotes enter their third game of the season winless and scoreless, it’s hard to label a game in early October as a must-win.

But is there such a thing as must-score?

If so, Wednesday’s rematch with the Anaheim Ducks should qualify as such. The Coyotes will be looking to find the back of the net for the first time in 120 minutes this season. And who better to do it against than the team the Coyotes fired 41 shots upon in their home opener Saturday?

John Gibson made no mistakes in net for the Ducks in that game, but he also wasn’t challenged particularly hard despite the high shot output. A high number of shots came from outside the dots and the ones closer to the net were harmlessly fired into Gibson’s stomach.

Moreover, most of the Coyotes’ scoring chances were one-and-done, meaning they either weren’t able to maintain possession after the first shot or the

Ducks managed to clear the puck. The Coyotes would have benefited from some second and third chances and some wing-to-wing movement to get Gibson mobile in his crease.

This was the case in Dallas, where the Coyotes once again outshot their opponent but couldn’t find the back of the net. While they did hit a crossbar and two side posts in that game, the Coyotes still weren’t able to capitalize on rebounds or create any sustained pressure in the offensive zone.

Still, the Coyotes are certainly not panicking and have no reason to do so. The Coyotes enter play Tuesday ranked fourth in the Western Conference with 35.5 shots per game and hold a plus-26 shot differential through two contests. And they’re doing so without Alex Galchenyuk or Christian Dvorak.

“There’s some tweaking you’ve got to do,” Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said after Tuesday’s practice. “As much as we’re getting chances and getting shots, I think we can have a better will to get to the net. I think we’re getting pushed to side a bit and I think we’re passing up some shots even though we’re getting shots.”

There’s a misconception in hockey that goal-scoring is simply a part of the game, but it can more accurately be described as a product or result of other things happening on the ice.

In other words, goals are meals and game plans are the recipes that make them possible. So far, the Coyotes have shown most of the ingredients necessary for goal-scoring (high shot output, extended time in the offensive zone, etc.), but there are still a few pieces missing in the puzzle.

For Tocchet, tying up the loose ends starts at practice. During the past two on-ice sessions, Tocchet has focused heavily on the power play and getting the players on that unit to adopt more of a shooter’s mentality, perhaps referencing the failed 5-on-3 advantage the Coyotes had at the end of Saturday’s game in which they could not score.

“There’s an opportunity to shoot the puck and we’re setting up,” Tocchet said. “Listen, I’m not panicking, but we need to score in those situations under pressure. It’s either that or we need a personnel change where we put other people out there because (you need) results.

“You have to do something. You can’t keep doing the same thing, but the opportunity is there. It’s just a matter of someone shooting the puck and somebody putting the puck in the net.”

The Coyotes did post a large number of shots on Saturday, but got one from Clayton Keller and zero from Brendan Perlini. As a result, look for Vinnie Hinostroza to take Perlini’s spot on the top line.

Hayton returned

Barrett Hayton, the fifth overall pick in June's draft, was returned to his juniors team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) on Tuesday, the Coyotes announced.

Hayton, 18, did not skate in a game for the Coyotes but was a healthy scratch for the team's first two contests. He is in the first year of his three-year, entrylevel contract signed in July.

Hayton will now return to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, where he tallied 60 points (21 goals, 39 assists) last season. According to Tocchet, the Coyotes will go forward with a 22-man roster for now, with Laurent Dauphin serving as the club's lone extra forward.