Author Archives: Jeff Adams

Coyotes top Oilers, 3-2, in OT

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In Edmonton, the Oilers got caught looking past the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night.

“I think the guys are a very focused group, a mature group wanting to win as many games as possible,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “And there is a possibility of finishing first in our division, whether that gives us the benefit of having home ice much longer.

“But I think guys are focused on wanting to play the right way and doing well.”

The result was a 3-2 loss in extra time.

Matias Maccelli scored 95 seconds into the extra session for the win.

he scored form the left circle on a wrister.

The Oilers, despite losing, clinched home ice in the first round with the loser’s point.

“They scored in overtime and we didn’t,” the Oilers’ Evander Kane said. “We had some good looks where we probably could have had a couple more, but we didn’t get the job done on that front and they scored in overtime.

“I think we were a little off early on but we got better, especially in the second period, and tied it early in the third. We had a lot of good looks but weren’t able to find that third goal.”

Karel Vejmelka made 37 saves in the win.

The Coyotes moved to 35-40-5 off their fourth win in the past five matches.

“I think we were tuned in. The game in Vancouver was a little more emotional, to be honest,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “I think today we were a little more composed and under control.

“I think we played rock solid, they had a push and I think we held on, our goalie made some good saves. I think we battled. The guys are unbelievable because they kept their focus.”

Arizona grabbed a 1-0 lead on a marker form Josh Doan, his fourth, at 5:20 of the opening stanza, scoring off a rebound.

The Oilers dropped to 48-24-6, snapping a three-game win streak.

The Oilers replied with a strike by Adam Henrique at 1:49 of the middle frame to tie the game, 1-1.

“These games can kind of at times go under the radar as everybody talks about tomorrow,” Henrique said. “I thought we did a good job of focusing on what we needed to do, but we didn’t have the best start.

“I thought we battled and had opportunities, but we couldn’t find a way to get that next one to give us that extra momentum.”

The Coyotes reclaimed the lead on a goal by Logan Cooley at 5:37 of the second. He also scored off a rebound for the 2-1 advantage.

“They’re a young team with a lot of guys trying to establish themselves in the League,” Kane said of the Coyotes. “And when you have a lot of players like that, they don’t really care where they are in the standings or how many games are left, they’re looking to bring their best every night, playing with nothing to lose.”

Edmonton responded with a goal by Darnell Nurse at 1:12 of the third period, tying the game, 2-2, and forcing the extra session.

Calvin Pickard made 24 saves in the loss .

Coyotes rout Golden Knights, 7-4

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In Tempe, it may seem odd to refer to a 7-4 decision as a rout, but on Friday night, the Coyotes trailed the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-1 headed to the third period. On any other night one might be forgiven for turning the game off and watching reruns on Gun Smoke.

On the other hand, had you stuck it out, you would have witnessed a six-goal surge by the Coyotes in just north of nine minutes to stun the Knights for the 7-4 win.

“You can’t expect to play maybe 30 minutes in this league and expect to beat anybody, but we did,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “And that’s what happened.”

In a span of 67 seconds, the Coyotes went from down three to tied, 4-4.

Josh Doan got the outburst started at 8:19, scoring off a wrister to make it 4-2.

Nick Bjugstad  closed the gap to 4-3 at 9:16, scoring off a shot from the slot.

“There was a stretch there where every shot went in, and we’ve got to stop the bleeding somewhere,” Cassidy said. “We called a timeout to hopefully at least slow it down; that didn’t do much, they scored 10 seconds later. They were opportunistic, and we paid the price.”

Michael Carcone  then scored the first of two goals just 10 seconds later for the 4-4 tie. He scored off a shot from the left circle.

“There was a stretch there where every shot went in, and we’ve got to stop the bleeding somewhere,” Cassidy said. “We called a timeout to hopefully at least slow it down; that didn’t do much, they scored 10 seconds later. They were opportunistic, and we paid the price.”

Carcone picked up his double at 14:47 for what would prove to be the game winner.

“You have to play a little looser when you’re the underdog in a game like that,” the Coyotes’ Josh Brown said. “We stayed loose, we stuck with it, and we started getting pucks in and getting to work. They’re the defending Stanley Cup champions, and they’re a measuring stick for us.”

Brown pushed the advantage to 6-4 at 15:48, it was the fifth goal in the string on just six shots.

Logan Cooley added salt with an empty-net marker 17:25 for the 7-4 final count on the scoreboard.

Karel Vejmelka had 20 saves in the win.

The Coyotes moved to 32-39-5.

“We showed character, our guys showed we care a lot,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “I think it was great to make that comeback and have everybody contribute.”

Vegas is five points back of the Edmonton Oilers for second in the Pacific Division, and only one point clear of the Los Angeles Kings for third in the division.

“It’s April, [let’s] take care of business on the ice,” Cassidy said. “We’re not in the (Stanley Cup) Playoffs. This isn’t a game we can say, ‘Oh, well, it’s out the window. We’re looking forward to our (playoff) opponent.’ … So, let’s take care of business.”

The Golden Knights dropped to 42-26-8.

After a scoreless opening stanza, Alex Kerfoot  staked the Coyotes to a 1-0 lead at 6:17 of the middle frame.

Vegas replied with four straight goals to close out the second period with the 4-1 lead.

Jack Eichel tied the game, 1-1, at 7:39, scoring off a rebound.

William Karlsson  pushed Vegas into a 2-1 lead at 11:08.

“We’ve got to find a way to not collapse like we have, because it’s only going to be more intense in the playoffs,” Karlsson said. “Once we get there.”

Anthony Mantha stretched the advantage to 3-1 at 14:37, scoring off an odd man rush.

Chandler Stephenson capped the goal rush with a strike at 18:08, for the 4-1 score headed to the third period.

Logan Thompson made 25 saves in the loss.

Canucks edge Coyotes, 2-1 on Garland’s late goal

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In Tempe, the Canucks’ Connor Garland corralled a shot/pass from Quinn Hughes off the backboards with 1:51 left on the game clock to snap a 1-1 tie with the Coyotes and send Vancouver to a 2-1 win on Wednesday night.

“It was a big goal by ‘Gars’ there. He loves [Arizona]. He loves playing here,” said Canucks coach Rick Tocchet, who coached Garland in Arizona from 2018-21.

Arturs Silovs made 20 saves in the win.

The Canucks moved to 47-21-8, getting back on track after losing three of their last four.

“We rebounded. We played really well tonight and we deserved to win that game,” Garland said. “We had a good talk with the group after the game last night. We weren’t happy with ourselves but we felt like we were going to put forth a good effort tonight.”

After a scoreless opening stanza, Hughes hit off the power play midway through the second period for a 1-0 lead to the Canucks. He scored off a wrister form the point that found its way through.

“I’m going to definitely try [to elevate my play down the stretch],” Hughes said. “That’s what I expect for myself. I think I’m really getting there. I’m playing some really serious hockey.”

It was his third marker in two games.

“He played really well. He was moving his feet all night and he controlled a lot of the play,” Tocchet said. “And he obviously made a great play on the Garland goal.”

The Coyotes dropped to 31-39-5 off their second straight loss.

“We didn’t play well enough, we didn’t play fast enough. They’re very good defensively, and we weren’t able to break that,” Guenther said. “They’re stingy on the lines and we have to be able to get through them sometimes. Not every game we’re going to get a ton of chances. I thought we played well defensively, they just played a little faster, a little more connected.”

Arizona got on the board with a power play strike by Dylan Guenther s midway through the third period, scoring with a quick wrister from the slot.

“We [finally] made some plays with the puck,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “The first two periods we struggled to make passes on our breakouts. If you don’t break out with some pace, it’s tough to generate anything. … Our play with the puck forced us to play too much without the puck.”

Connor Ingram made 31 saves in the loss.

The Doan Legacy

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I have been a fan of the Arizona Coyotes since they first moved here from Winnipeg 28 years ago and became the Phoenix Coyotes. From the moment they arrived I was captivated by the cast of characters that made up that inaugural Coyotes team. From Big Walt banging home 52 goals to JR always making things interesting, to Teppo Numminen anchoring the defense, to Oleg Tverdovsky dancing up and down the ice, to Kris King and Jim McKenzie slinging leather, to the Boolin Wall tending the goal. But there was one young man who would leave a lasting legacy beyond all of those guys. A quiet, unassuming young lad who would go on to become the Valley’s favorite son. He made his home in the Valley and raised a family and became one of us, in a way that no other Coyotes player ever did. Through thick and thin, Shane Doan was the epitome of Coyotes hockey. He connected with the fans and the community in his own special way and that endeared him to everybody. He is the closest thing to hockey Royalty that we have here in Arizona.

Shane Doan is a working class guy who can relate to most anybody. He’s your next-door neighbor. He’s your kid’s hockey coach. He’s the guy you hoist a beer with at the local watering hole. He’s the guy you shoot the shit with while standing in line at the DMV. If you struck up a conversation with him, you wouldn’t even know he was a hockey star unless you brought it up. He’s just Shane.

Shane has meant the world to hockey fans in the Valley. For twenty odd years he was the one thing that Coyotes fans could count on. Through all of the tumult and chaos of multiple ownership changes, multiple relocation rumours, and multiple work-stoppages, Shane has been the one constant. He stood by the team through thick and thin, even though he could have easily left on several occasions and Coyotes fans wouldn’t have thought any less of him for it. He stayed because he is one of us.

So Shane stayed here in the Valley and raised his family. And what a family. Shane and his wife Andrea are like a modern-day Ozzie and Harriet. They raised four beautiful, very well-rounded children.

Josh Doan dishing some pucks to teammates during warmups

Josh Doan dishing some pucks to teammates during warmups

One of those children, Shane’s first son, has chosen to follow in his Father’s footsteps. Josh Doan grew up idolizing his Father, as most young hockey fans in Arizona do. He developed his hockey skills in the Junior Coyotes program, wearing his Dad’s #19. He joined a fledgling Division I hockey program at Arizona State University and scored the very first goal scored at Mullett Arena. (Foreshadowing, anyone?) He was drafted into the NHL by his hometown team, the first home-grown product drafted by the Coyotes. He began his professional Hockey career down the I-10 with the Tucson Roadrunners. And on Tuesday night, he made his NHL debut with the Coyotes.

This did not feel like a Tuesday night game between two of the worst teams in the league. There was an atmosphere around the game that could only be described as magical. There was an air of anticipation from the moment on Sunday night when it was announced that he would be called up. Josh’s family beamed with pride from the Mullett Arena suite where they gathered to watch his debut. Shane made his way rinkside to watch Josh take his solo skate during warmups. He could not have looked prouder.

Social media was abuzz with Coyotes fans checking in to share their excitement in anticipation of Josh’s debut. I knew the moment that Josh stepped on the ice for his first shift. The crowd rose to its feet and a roar filled the air and I knew that Arizona’s favorite son had strided into the history books. There can be no doubt that Josh is one of our own. He was born in Arizona, played for the Junior Coyotes, played for the ASU Sun Devils, played for the Tucson Roadrunners…and here he was back at Mullett Arena, skating for the only NHL team he has ever loved. He was born for this moment. And his moment has finally arrived.

The fans hung on his every movement each time he stepped onto the ice. Every touch of the puck was greeted with bated breath in anticipation of Josh’s first goal. Would he get it tonight? Would he have to wait until his seventeenth game as his father had in Winnipeg? He didn’t look at all out of place. Every shift he and his linemates were buzzing, making positive things happen. A collective gasp rose up when Josh came in on a partial breakaway, and a collective groan escaped when goalie Elvis Merzlikins made a remarkable save on a pretty good move by Josh.

Then, at last, the moment we had all been waiting for. At the tail end of a strong forecheck involving Doan and his linemates, Jack McBain and Matias Maccelli, Josh forced a turnover and followed the puck to the front of the net. After the puck jumped into the air off of Merzlikins’ stick, Josh batted the puck out of midair and into the net for his first NHL goal. The Mullett Arena crowd erupted. The game broadcast showed a clip of the Doan family jumping for joy in the suite. It was a cathartic release for all of Coyotes Nation.

Doan would add another goal later in the game, deflecting a shot from the point over the goalie for what turned out to be the game-winning goal. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night. Josh appeared on the broadcast’s post-game show, where Shane presented him with the puck commemorating his first NHL goal. It was a real proud-papa moment.

I think the reason this moment was so powerful for long-time Coyotes fans is because it feels like validation for years of suffering. With all the arena-search issues and subsequent relocation rumours, Coyotes fans have been searching for some feel-good news all season. Aside from a start just good enough to inspire hope for a playoff run, there has been little for Valley hockey fans to cheer about this season. For Coyotes fans, this was a full circle moment. It was like seeing the torch passing from the elder Doan to his son. Everything made sense. There was a Doan wearing a Kachina jersey being cheered by adoring fans. It felt like, even if for only a moment, all was right with the world. And Coyotes fans have needed that for some time. So thank you, Josh Doan, for carrying on your father’s legacy.

Predators run ruined in Tempe

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In Tempe, the Nashville Predators were perhaps looking past the Coyotes on Thursday night, and it cost them in an 8-4 loss.

The decision snapped an 18-game point streak. It was their first loss since mid February.

The Coyotes hit for four goals in the middle frame to wrest control of the game.

The Coyotes’ Logan Cooley hit for his first career NHL hat trick in the win.

“It’s always fun playing against the best guys in the League, the best teams. I think it brings out the best in us,” Cooley said. “For me, personally, I like playing against the really good guys. You get up for those games a little more, and that one was a fun one.”

Connor Ingram made 33 saves in the win.

Coyotes moved to 31-37-5 off their fifth win in seven matches.

The two teams exchanged goals in the opening stanza for a 2-2 tie after 20 minutes.

Jason Zucker hit for a double to give the Preds a 2-0 lead. His first was scored at 2:22, scoring off a shot from the slot.

Zucker collected his double at 5:11 for the 2-0 advantage.

“We knew they were on a streak and playing really good hockey, and we took a deep breath and relaxed and found our game and kind of took off after that,” Cooley said.

Arizona replied with a pair of strikes of their own, Jack McBain trimmed the deficit to 2-1 at 8:00.

“It probably came a little easy for us [early],” Nashville’s Roman Josi said. “I thought we played well in the beginning, but we kind of got away from that a little bit and then just kind of gave them too much. They’re a skilled team and they made us pay for a couple of mistakes.”

Cooley potted his first of the game at 17:00 for the 2-2 tie.

“We started to play our A game in the second,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “[The Keller-Nick Bjugstad-Nick Schmaltz line] were playing against their top line and that goes under the radar a little bit. (Ryan) O’Reilly and (Filip) Forsberg and (Gustav) Nyquist are an elite line in the League.”

The Predators dropped to 43-26-4.

“There’s going to be a night like this,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “Every team in the NHL is a good team and every night is hard. I thought we did enough good things to win the game, we just made some mistakes that really cost us and couldn’t overcome.”

The Coyotes jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the middle frame.

Clayton Keller pushed the Coyotes into a 3-2 lead at 7:11, scoring off an odd man rush with Alex Kerfoot.

Cooley collected his double one minute later to stretch the lead to 4-2.

“That was the pace I’ve got to play with, and I’m getting better at it,” Keller said. “That was a high-intensity game, everybody was into it.”

Gustav Nyquist hit off the power-play 11:08 to get the Preds back within one at 4-3..

Nick Bjugstad responded for the Coyotes at 12:36 to make it 5-3 in favor of Arizona.

Nick Schmaltz h then added to the lead for a 6-3 advantage headed to the third period.

The third period was an exercise in getting through the game and moving on to the next match.

“We knew they were on a streak and playing really good hockey, and we took a deep breath and relaxed and found our game and kind of took off after that,” Cooley said.

Arizona’s Matias Maccelli hit an empty net at 13:57 for a 7-3 count..

Filip Forsberg scored a so what goal off the power play for a 7-4 score at 16:40.

Cooley collected his hats at 18:28 for the 8-4 final.

“That was a special moment,” Cooley said.

Juuse Saros got the start and surrendered six goals, making 21 saves before getting the hook in the second intermission.

Kevin Lankinen made 11 saves in a mop up role.

Stars escape with 4-2 win over Coyotes

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In Tempe, The Stars’ Miro Heiskanen snapped a 2-2 tie with the Coyotes on Sunday night to help send Dallas to a 4-2 win.

Heiskanen scored after a turnover in the offensive zone, his goal came from a shot from the point at 14:32 of the third.

Jake Oettinger made 26 saves in the win.

The Stars improved to 44-19-9 off their ninth win in 11 matches.

Matt Duchene hit an empty net with 90 seconds left on the game clock for the 4-2 final count on the scoreboard.

Dallas took a 1-0 lead when Jamie Benn scored at 4:21, hitting off a shot from the left circle. .

Arizona replied with a marker form Clayton Keller tied at 18:44 for a 1-1 tie. Keller collected a rebound on the left side for the goal

The Coyotes dropped to 29-37-5.

In the middle frame, Tyler Seguin regained the Dallas advantage at 2-1, scoring of a deflection in slot at 2:19.

The Coyotes replied again, with a goal by Nick Bjugstad at 7:26 of the third, tying the game, 202, just as a power play ended.

Connor Ingram made 31 saves in the loss.