While the Coyotes lost to the Ducks 4-3 in overtime, they should still hold their heads up high after a strong and gritty performance.
Despite having an overall strong game, the Arizona Coyotes ultimately lost 4-3 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks.
Going into this game, both teams were hot. The Coyotes were coming off an 8-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks while the Ducks won four straight to this point.
It was a disaster for Arizona to start. Troy Terry scored two goals in the first ten minutes of the period to put Anaheim up 2-0.
This game could have gotten out of hand but the Coyotes don’t just give up that easily.
Just a little bit over two minutes after Terry’s goal, Lawson Crouse responded, scoring his first of the season, breathing life for Arizona to climb back.
Then the goal every hockey fan in the Valley has been waiting for happened. Logan Cooley found himself all alone in front of the net and buried the puck past goaltender Lukas Dostal for his first NHL goal.
For a young player looking to gain confidence, this was really all Cooley needed. The 19-year-old was playing well up to this point but was still searching for that first goal which he was finally able to get.
The Coyotes also needed Crouse to get going. Crouse had his best game of the season, also scoring in the second period to put the Coyotes up 3-2.
Arizona really dominated the second period and looked to carry that into the third but the 2023 second overall pick, Leo Carlsson, had something to say about it tallying his third goal of the year and evening up the score at three.
When the Coyotes and Ducks played last, both teams were physical with each other. Tonight it was more of the same as the two sides were going at it all night, feeling like a playoff type atmosphere at times.
It reached a boiling point late in the third when Frank Vatrano hit Sean Durzi from behind leading to retaliation from Durzi who was ultimately ejected from the game.
Sixty minutes wasn’t enough time as the game went into overtime. While the Coyotes dominated most of the overtime period, Troy Terry capitalized on a two-on-one opportunity for his third goal of the game, crushing Arizona’s hopes of stealing a win in Anaheim.
The Coyotes may have not gotten the win but should still be proud of their effort tonight. They really battled all game long showing a ton of heart and honestly played one of their better overall games of the year even in a losing effort.
Both Cooley and Crouse are big parts of the Coyotes offense so getting them on the score sheet was huge for the team going forward.
This will not be an easy pill to swallow but coach André Tourigny should still be proud of the performance his team put on display.
The Coyotes will be back tomorrow night, facing the Montreal Canadiens at Mullett Arena.