The Coyotes managed to defeat the Senators 5-3 on Friday night which marks their first win in over a month.
For the first time since January 22, the Arizona Coyotes have won a hockey game.
After losing 14 consecutive games, the Coyotes managed to defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-3 on Friday night in what was an emotional victory.
A cold stretch doesn't even describe what the Coyotes have been going through lately. No matter what the Coyotes have seemed to do, they always found a way to lose as the frustration continued to pile up.
In the first period against the Senators, Arizona looked like a completely different team.
Michael Carcone opened up the scoring 10 minutes into the game and it didn’t stop there. J.J. Moser and Nick Schmaltz both tallied goals and by the end of the first period the Coyotes led 3-1.
Arizona recorded 20 shots in the opening period alone and dominated the first 20 minutes which hasn’t happened in a while.
In the second period, the Coyotes lost their composure and allowed the Senators to tie the game.
The Coyotes are a very fragile team right now, so the moment Ottawa got back into the contest, it seemed trouble would ensue for Arizona.
To their credit, the Coyotes calmed down and played really well down the stretch. Dylan Guenther scored the game-winning goal on the power play, leading to Arizona’s first victory in over a month.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Coyotes found a way to win and that’s all that matters.
“It feels relief,” coach André Tourigny said. “I don’t know exactly how to describe it. We feel that we deserved better on a lot of those games… We didn’t feel like we’ve been as bad as we have been and we know we are a better team. We are a good team and if we play well, we can beat anybody in that league.”
This win was just a weight lifted off of the backs of both the coaching staff and players. They can finally turn the page on their brutal losing streak and start to play more freely.
Even without major playoff implications, a win is a win and it meant a lot to everybody.
“It’s for everybody,” Tourigny said. “For coaches, management, our fans, our media, everybody. You wanna be in a winning environment and you want to have success. I think everybody will be happy and have a great day off tomorrow.”
The Coyotes will be back in action on Sunday afternoon against the Washington Capitals.