Coyotes drop back into scoring drought
The Coyotes can get all the shots on goal they want. At the end of the day, the fact remains that they simply aren’t scoring enough.
Most of the time, in fact, they aren’t scoring at all.
Despite out-shooting their opponent for the fourth consecutive game, the Coyotes were shut out for the third time in four games this season in a 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday at Gila River Arena.
The Sabres scored twice in the first period and added an insurance goal in the third to move to 11-5 all-time in games played in Arizona. The Coyotes, meanwhile, posted 36 shots on Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark but remained scoreless through two home games this season.
Even on what might have been their best 5-on-5 scoring chance of the entire season, the Coyotes could still not find the net in a golden opportunity toward the end of the second period.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson found Richard Panik on the doorstep for a one-timer that was deflected by Ullmark. After picking up his own rebound, Panik deked Ullmark out of his own net and snuck a backhand pass through the crease that was destined for Clayton Keller in front.
Instead, Sabres center Patrik Berglund got a hold of the puck and flipped it out of the zone. Less than a minute later, Christian Fischer found Lawson Crouse for a one-timer that Ullmark blocked with his pad. He ended the second period with a glove save on a Keller shot from the face-off circle.
“Even though their goalie played a great game,” Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta said.
“I think we are making the goalies look really good right now. I think we have to get a little bit more of they eye-of-the-tiger in front of the net and just put those pucks in.”
Basically, Raanta is saying the Coyotes desperately need more players going to the net in order to create second and third attempts on scoring chances.
The shots the Coyotes are getting seem relatively harmless.
And although they aren’t allowing many chances themselves — they allowed just 23 shots on Saturday — the ones they do give up are bad defensive breakdowns in a system that otherwise prides itself on effective structure.
On the Sabres’ first goal of the game, Jason Demers was unable to corral Sabres forward Jeff Skinner, who drove to the net and got a shot on Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta.
Even though Raanta made the initial save, the Coyotes couldn’t clear and Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin — the No. 1 overall pick in June — potted the rebound for his first NHL goal.
Now the Coyotes embark on a fourgame road trip against three teams who made the playoffs last season and the Chicago Blackhawks, who have been putting up a ton of goals.