The Arizona Coyotes fought gallantly, but fell short as they lost 4-2 against the Montreal Canadiens. 240227 Tourigny Post The Coyotes were coming off an emotional defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets where they played a really solid game yet were still unable to get the job done in overtime. In Montreal it was a very similar story. Arizona maintained great puck possession in the first period but one defensive lapse led to a Joel Armia goal and the Coyotes trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes of play. In the second period, the Coyotes displayed complete domination over Montreal. Alexander Kerfoot scored a goal in his 500th NHL game, providing Coyotes’ fans with a nice moment. While Arizona carried some of their momentum into the third period, they were unable to climb back from behind which led to their thirteenth consecutive loss. The Coyotes were the better hockey team, but it was the Canadiens who capitalized on Arizona’s few mistakes to steal this victory. “We played really well,” André Tourigny said. “They had emotion, they had drive, we played with a lot of passion and there was a lot of life on the bench. We played good on both sides of the puck. Did not like our goals. I think they were too quality, but there will never be a perfect game. I think we played really good.” It’s frustrating because the Coyotes seem to have some great stretches of hockey over the course of 60 minutes, but they make just one too many mistakes which usually leads to their demise. Hockey is all about consistency and the Coyotes are not playing a consistent game which is normal for a young team still in the rebuilding process. Although it’s easy to look at the negatives, the Coyotes actually played great and Tourigny is still proud of the way his team continues to persevere. “They are unbelievable, they are unbelievable,” Tourigny said. “They don’t quit, they stand up for each other, they have the back of each other, they have spirit, They have attitude. Give them a lot of credit as much as they are in a really tough spot. When the going gets tough, tough gets going. You see the real character of your players in those kinds of situations.” The Coyotes will be back in action on Thursday as they face the Toronto Maple Leafs.
