The Arizona Coyotes scored three goals early and held on to win against the Anaheim Ducks.
A scary moment turned into a brilliant one for the Arizona Coyotes.
The Yotes got early goals from Christian Dvorak, Jakob Chychrun, and Radim Vrbata to grab a firm hold on the game in the first period.
From there, the home team did exactly what you don’t want to do; they sat on the lead.
After a collision forced goaltender Mike Smith into concussion protocol in the third period, rookie Marek Langhamer made his NHL debut and attempted to hold onto the 3-1 lead.
Marek Langhammer makes a huge game-saving stop in the final seconds of his NHL debut pic.twitter.com/Cu6ef9vQBm
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) February 21, 2017
He managed to do so, but only barely as he stymied a frenzied Ducks attack including a jaw dropping save at the buzzer to preserve the victory.
It was quite a debut for “The Hammer”, and a nice win for the good guys.
Arizona Coyotes Player of the Game
This one is a no brainer.
How many goaltenders could toil in the ECHL and AHL, get called up to the NHL due to a surprise injury, not expect to see the ice at all…and then get forced into a game with two points on the line against one of the best teams in the league and still gut out the victory?
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Marek Langhamer can, for one.
The feat (and the save that secured the victory) are made all the more spectacular by how unspectacular Langhamer has been prior to tonight. He’s a serviceable AHL goaltender, unlikely to have a career in the NHL, but for one night he’s on top of the world.
The View From The 200 Level
As far as recent victories go, this wasn’t one of the better ones.
The Arizona Coyotes have been on a bit of a run lately, but tonight they were lucky to scrape by and get the two points.
They simply took their feet off the gas for large parts of the second and third periods, putting unnecessary strain on the Mike Smith. After Smith’s injury and exit, the team buckled down a bit in front of Marek Langhamer, but it would’ve been nice to see them continue attacking.
On the plus side, the kids keep comin’ on.
Christian Dvorak is finding his offensive game and Jakob Chychrun continues to show glimpses of his elite potential.
Watching these kids figure out has been a treat. They are finally showing signs that next year might be a big step forward for themselves and the franchise.
Next: Michael Stone Traded To The Calgary Flames
It’s gonna be great.
The Coyotes next take the ice on Thursday against everyone’s favorite Illinois based hockey franchise.