‘Yotes Notes: Late shorthanded goal dooms Coyotes to second narrow home loss in row

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Coyotes picked up right where they left off Tuesday in a close, well-played game against the Dallas Stars.

They lost this one too.

After Saturday’s tough 1-0 loss to the New York Islanders, the Coyotes kept up their disciplined play, and goalie Mike Smith kept rolling in the net, stopping 28 of 32 shots, but it wasn’t good enough.

It was the Coyotes who jumped out to an early lead, when youngster Connor Murphy rifled in a rebound from the blue line with just 1:42 expired in the first period.

The Coyotes’ consistent play continued through the first half of the game and it took Dallas well into the second period to get their 10th shot on goal, which came during a power play.

And then the tables turned. The Coyotes put together a less-than-good second period after that 10th shot, in which they seemed determined to let Dallas get tied up in the shots category. A lot of giveaways and failures to clear the zone eventually led to a Tyler Seguin goal, cutting the Coyotes’ lead to 2-1. Another Seguin goal just seconds later would make it 2-2.

A crazy end to the third period saw the Coyotes on the wrong side of three total goals. The game was evened 3-3 by scores just this side of a minute apart, but a shorthanded Dallas tally was the final dagger.

THE GOOD

The Coyotes were very, very good in the first period. They were shutting down everything the Stars had to offer and held their conference rivals to just six measly shots. In the same period, the Coyotes generated 17 with a lot of zone pressure that had Dallas reeling. After 20 minutes, it looked like the Stars were on the ropes.

THE BAD

Just when they seemed to have it wrapped up, the Coyotes opened the door and the Stars kicked it in. The two goals in the second were the cake, and the icing was a late third-period tally that proved too much for Arizona to overcome.

Let’s put it this way: The Coyotes are really struggling on the power play. They generate offense and a few chances, but they haven’t buried one in the past four games. They had six man-advantage opportunities against Dallas, but the only team to score was the Stars. Ryan Garbutt’s short-handed goal late in the third proved to be the winner.

“It’s just inexcusable from our power play,” head coach Dave Tippett said after the loss.

STAT OF THE GAME

The final Stars goal came after Coyotes center Antoine Vermette missed the net by a good 15 feet on a power play shot. The puck caromed around the boards, Keith Yandle was caught flat-footed and the break was on. That’s all she wrote.

In total, the Coyotes put 16 shots wide of the net to the Stars’ six. It’s tough not to wonder what would happen if those had been more targeted. The Stars were also able to block 25 additional shots, a lot of them on the power play.

HE SAID IT

“You get a power play with two minutes to go in the game — and the power play is your best players on the ice — and you give it away. That’s really disappointing.” – Tippett on the shorthanded game-winning Stars goal

NOTED

– Coyotes center Joe Vitale, acquired in the free agency period from the Pittsburgh Penguins, scored his first goal in Sedona Red on Tuesday.

– Tippett is now the longest-tenured coach in Coyotes’ franchise history. He’s been behind the bench for 391 games.

– It’s pretty safe to say the Coyotes and Stars don’t like each other. Just six seconds into the first, Arizona center Martin Hanzal and Dallas wing Jamie Benn dropped the gloves to settle a bad hit from last year, though the fight was lackluster. The Coyotes’ Kyle Chipchura and Stars’ Brenden Dillon squared off later and exchanged some heavy punches.

– Coyotes winger Tobias Rieder tallied his first career NHL assist on Murphy’s first-period goal, only to have it taken away. Officials ruled Murphy’s goal was unassisted.

UP NEXT

The Coyotes will head out on a three-game road trip in western Canada, beginning with a Thursday night matchup against the 9-6-2 Calgary Flames. The fun starts at 7 p.m. and the game will be carried on ESPN 620 AM.

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