Tag: Arizona Coyotes

Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, January 16, 2019

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Coyotes wanted to take advantage of a tired San Jose team on Wednesday, jumped on the Sharks early and hung on for a 6-3 NHL Pacific Division win.

In the process, the Coyotes earned two needed points to remain in the Western Conference wild card race, and snapped San Jose’s seven-game winning streak. Arizona has won four of its last five games and trails Minnesota by six points for the second wild card berth.

“It wasn’t sharp,” Sharks center Logan Couture said. “Our power play wasn’t sharp. We gave up a breakaway and we’d like to get that one back. … It’s tough to end such a nice run.

“We’re fine. You never want to go crazy when you lose, but it’s difficult when you lose a division game, one that’s winnable. (The Coyotes) knew we played last night and jumped on us right away.”

Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said, “It was a fun game to be a part of, and I thought we played really good for 60 minutes and that’s why we came out with a win. Everybody was working really hard, and played the right way.”

Arizona’s Lawson Crouse opened the scoring at 2:31 of the first period with his seventh goal of the season. Crouse’s wrist shot deflected off Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell’s glove and into the net.

The Coyotes made it 2-0 at 4:39 of the opening period. With Niklas Hjalmarsson serving a hooking penalty, Arizona’s Richard Panik picked up a loose puck at his own blue line and, on a breakaway, beat Dell to the stick side for his 10th goal of the season – an unassisted short-handed tally.

San Jose cut its deficit to 2-1 on Kevin Leblanc’s fifth goal at 6:53 of the opening period. Leblanc converted a rebound in the slot off a shot from the point by Brenden Dillon.

“That wasn’t our best effort,” Sharks Coach Peter DeBoer said. “We dug a hole early, got behind, and didn’t do enough to come back. You have to give (Arizona) credit, they were rested, came out with a lot of energy, won a lot of battles. We were, uncharacteristically, a little sloppy, a little soft.

“We knew that after the game last night (a 5-2 win at home against Pittsburgh) we didn’t get engaged quickly enough or long enough.”

Christian Fischer made it 3-1 for Arizona, scoring on a wraparound from behind the net off Dell’s right skate for his 11th goal. Jordan Weal, recently acquired from Philadelphia, earned his first point as a Coyote with the second assist.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s sixth goal of the season came on a wrist shot from the top of the right circle off a drop pass by Clayton Keller. Eckman-Larsson’s shot was screened and beat Dell to the glove side at 7:50 of the second period.

DeBoer challenged the goal, claiming the play was offside. After a video review, the play was upheld, and the Coyotes had a 4-1 lead.

“We had an offside, and then they cleared the zone. Then it gets negated and it goes back in. So, it was our mistake,” DeBoer said.

Moments later, Evander Kane scored for San Jose at 10:15, firing a shot off a drop pass near the slot by Lebanc, cutting the Coyotes lead to 4-2.

Couture’s 17th goal of the season at 15:08 of the third period made it a one-goal contest. But Alex Galchenyuk scored three minutes later for the Coyotes, and Josh Archibald popped in an empty-net tally at 19:11.

“We had a lot of guys contribute tonight,” Coyotes Coach Rick Tocchet said. “I think everybody did something for us to win this game. It’s all hands on deck with (the Sharks). They’re a Cup favorite, so it was nice to win that game.”

Darcy Kuemper stopped 26 of 29 San Jose shots, while Dell – despite a shaky start – turned away 35 of 39 shots.

The Sharks road trip continues on Saturday at Tampa Bay, with games at Florida (Jan. 21) and Washington (Jan. 22) before their bye week.

SHARK BITES: Coyotes D Oliver Ekman-Larsson tied Teppo Numminen (108 goals) for the most goals in their NHL franchise history by a defenseman. Ekman-Larsson’s game winning goal tied Thomas Steen and Dale Hawerchuk (29) for sixth-most game winners in the team’s Winnipeg-Arizona NHL history. The league does not recognize statistics from the World Hockey Association. … San Jose scratches: C Dylan Gambrell, D Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D Joakim Ryan. … Richard Panik’s short-handed goal was the first of his career; he was the fifth Coyote to score short-handed this season. Arizona is second in the NHL with 12 short-handed goals, trailing Calgary by two. … C Joe Thornton is five points from his 1,000th as a Shark, and seven assists from matching Gordie Howe for ninth on the NHL’s all-time assist list (1,049). … Attendance at Gila River Arena was 13,342.

TAGS: San Jose Sharks,Arizona Coyotes, NHL, Sports Radio Service

UP NEXT: Sharks head to Tampa, Fla. to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday at 4:00 PM PST.

Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By: Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, December 8, 2018

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Asked about how 28-year-old rookie Lukas Radil came through with the go-ahead goal for San Jose in the third period Saturday against Arizona, Evander Kane responded, “He’s 28?”

Radil’s first career NHL goal provided the go-ahead goal for San Jose Saturday, as the Sharks held off a charge from Arizona and edged the Coyotes 4-3 at the Gila River Arena.

“For him to get his first goal and the way he got his first goal, late in the third period in a tie game, that’s great,” Kane said following the Sharks’ 4-3 win over the Coyotes. “Every time he’s in the lineup, he always brings something positive. He’s a big, strong kid who wins a lot of battles.”

Radil, operating from behind the net, flipped a backhand shot over the left shoulder of Coyotes goaltender Adin Hill and into the top shelf at 14:13  of the third period.

“It was very exciting,” Radil said. “I had a dream to play in the NHL, and the dream came true. I scored a goal; the team wins, so it couldn’t be a better day.

“Our line had a couple of chances, but we won, and that’s what’s more important.”

Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said, “We needed something like that, someone coming off the bench to give us something. We’ve been waiting a while for something like that, so it was nice timing. The guy has worked hard to get here to this level and for him to get his first NHL goal like that, it’s pretty rewarding.”

Seconds later, an apparent Arizona goal was waived off. After a video review, the original call was upheld.

Tomas Hertl popped in an empty-net goal at 19:09 for the Sharks, who outshot Arizona 33-20. Aaron Dell stopped 17 of 20 shots for San Jose, while Adin Hill made 32 saves in a losing effort for Arizona.

Trailing 3-2 after two periods, the Coyotes got the equalizer at 5:45 of the third period when Richard Panik’s shot from the left circle went through Dell’s 5-hole.

“We were a little depleted but the guys gave it their all,” Coyotes Coach Rick Tocchet said. “We had a couple of chances there at 3-3, and they get that goal (by Radil). It was a weird goal. Then, we thought we got it back, but it was inconclusive and then we tried to make a push.”

San Jose opened the scoring at 14:36 of the first period when Joe Pavelski redirected a low slapper from the left point by Brenden Dillon. Pavelski’s 19th goal of the season beat Coyotes goaltender Adin Hill to the stick side.

Less than a minute later, the Sharks made it 2-0 on Logan Couture’s 10th goal. The Coyotes were unable to clear the puck from their own zone, and Couture’s breakaway shot from the slot found Hill’s 5-hole at 15:26.

The Sharks outshot Arizona 14-7 in the first period.

At 5:10 of the second period, San Jose extended its lead to 3-0. Evander Kane broke up a clearing pass, and won the race to the loose puck, beating Hill on the short side just above his right skate for an unassisted tally.

After the Sharks’ Kevin Labanc got the gate for slashing at 6:30 of the second period, Arizona scored 15 seconds into the power play on Nick Schmaltz’s fifth goal of the season. Schmaltz, parked on the right edge of the goal crease, took a centering pass out of the left corner by Clayton Keller and beat Dell on the glove side.

Arizona struck again at 10:43 of the second period when Jakob Chychrun’s shot from the point was redirected by Brad Richardson to the right of Dell. Richardson’s eighth goal of the season pulled the Coyotes to within 3-2.

“We found a way to win,” DeBoer said. “Right now, it seems like the chances we give up wind up in the net. I’m not saying they’re bad goals — it just seems like with the opportunities we give up, the puck is going in our net with teams putting a lot of pressure on us.

“There’s still a lot more good than bad, but there’s still a lot of work left to do.”

SHARK BITES: San Jose C Joe Thornton passed Steve Yzerman for 18th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list (1,515). Thornton is also two assists from tying Marcel Dionne (1,040) for 10th place on the league’s all-time assist list. … Arizona’s Conor Garland made his NHL debut, skating on the Coyotes’ second line with Derek Stepan and Christian Fletcher. … The announced attendance at Gila River Arena was 13,780.

UP NEXT: The Sharks return to SAP Center to host the Devils on Monday, December 10 at 7:30 pm PST.