The Arizona Coyotes suffer a brutal 5-2 loss against the Buffalo Sabres as they continue their cold stretch. The Coyotes were the hottest team in the NHL just a week ago, winning five consecutive games. However, that has all changed. The Coyotes were on a two-game losing streak going into their matchup against Buffalo, in search to get back to their winning ways. Unfortunately for Arizona, Kyle Okposo scored less than three minutes into the game which gave the Sabres the lead and really set the tone for the remainder of the contest. While the Coyotes would tie the game off of a Michael Kesselring goal early in the second period, that would ultimately be the high point of the night for Arizona. The Sabres scored three consecutive goals in the second period, completely dominating play and possession time. From when the puck first dropped, it just didn’t seem the Coyotes had any energy or sense of urgency. They played a sloppy brand of hockey, similar to what derailed them on Saturday afternoon against the Boston Bruins. Offensively, Arizona couldn’t get anything going. They failed to really get any sort of sustained pressure and struggled mightily on the power play. Karel Vejmelka finally got an opportunity to prove himself after multiple games on the bench, but he did not look particularly sharp. Despite having some good moments, Vejmelka gave up a couple soft goals and at points seemed a bit out of position. It was not a good night for the Coyotes who now are in the midst of yet another three-game losing streak. Consistency is key, but the Coyotes season has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least filled with some great highs and some really bad lows. 231211_Tourigny_Postgame If Arizona can’t play consistent hockey, making the playoffs will be hard to achieve which is unfortunate because the Coyotes really do look like a playoff team through many stretches this season. The Coyotes need to play with more urgency, steer away from all these careless turnovers and adapt better to physical pushback from the opposition. Arizona has an opportunity to shake off this losing streak and come back home with a win as they face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
