Although they clawed their way back into the game, going from an 0-2 hole to a 2-2 tie and forcing overtime, the Coyotes fell 3-2 in a shootout to the visiting Kings.
After the game, Arizona head coach Rick Tocchet shared the following thoughts:
On his takeaways from tonight’s game:
It was an ugly game. I didn’t like our first [period]. We weren’t going through people. It’s not like they [Los Angeles] had a lot, they had the two goals, but I don’t think we were ready to go. After that, I liked the resiliency getting those two quick goals, but it was an ugly game. I didn’t see a lot of grade-A [chances] from both teams. Maybe five-four, I don’t know what it is. It wasn’t a lot of grade-a chances from both teams.
On the Conor Garland goal and how it changed the second period:
Shooting the puck with somebody in front with Schmaltz going to the net there that’s a big one. We have to start getting delivered pucks to the net. These ugly games have ugly goals. That’s what you have to get when things aren’t going. LA clogged up the neutral zone. They did a great job tonight in the neutral zone. We started getting the pucks in deep and got a few bounces our way. That’s the type of goals we have to get in ugly games.
On getting a point tonight despite the loss:
It depends on how the game’s been played. In the first [period] we weren’t good, down two nothing. Then we had some chances. The overtime was good, we had really good possession. We had a couple of chances. That was good. I thought we defended fairly well tonight. I didn’t think they [LA] got much tonight either, but it’s an ugly game. That’s really what it comes down. During these types of games in the season you’re going to have to be patient and play ugly. It’s just the way it is. There’s not much in the neutral zone, so you have to go chase it and win a battle. That’s the way it works sometimes.
A few additional Coyotes postgame notes:
– The Coyotes have scored a second period goal in 14 of its 16 games (18 goals) this season.
– Arizona has earned points in seven of its last nine games (5-2-2) and in three consecutive games.
– Conor Garland scored a goal and has points in seven of his last nine games (5-4-9)… He leads the team in scoring (7-8-15) and home scoring (5-4-9).
– Clayton Keller extended his point streak three games (1-2-3) with an assist…Keller has now recorded a point in five of his last six games (3-4-7).
– Coyotes totaled 31 hits tonight and have registered 101 hits over their last three games.
Christian Fischer led the way with a season-high eight hits…It’s the second time in Fischer’s career he’s recorded eight hits or more in a game (9 hits vs. SJS on Nov. 30, 2019).
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So….what I’m getting from AZ coach Rick Tocchet is that it was an “ugly game”……that about right ?