Arizona Coyotes Defeat Ducks at Home 4 to 2

The Coyotes played their second consecutive solid home game and beat the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. The Flyers are next.

The Coyotes have played some disciplined, consistent hockey in the past couple of games and it is particularly satisfying to see them win at home. By playing to their strengths and not trying to be something they’re not, the ‘Yotes can simplify things yet be effective home or away.

The desert dogs aren’t built to out-gun their opponents and score 3 or 4 goals a game. Instead, they’re a blue collar team that needs to pull together to be successful, as they don’t have a roster full of flashy marquee players that can routinely score goals in bunches. We’re aware that the Coyotes are a “defense first” group of lunch pail style grinders that have to fight for their success because no one in the NHL is going to lay down and roll over for them.

The Coyotes started the Thursday night game fairly slowly and the Ducks had the run of the play early on. The ‘Yotes had their share of scoring chances but fired several shots too high or wide. The home team finally scored when Lawson Crouse put a rebound past Anaheim goalkeeper John Gibson. The Coyotes got caught pinching a bit too far forward, however, and the ever dangerous Ducks’ Jakob Silfverberg put one past Antti Raanta late in the first period to knot the score by the first intermission.

The Coyotes “D” men seemed to be itching to go forward every chance they got, and the blue liners got caught up ice early in the second frame. As a result, Max Jones got behind both Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun and scored the go ahead goal. Advantage Ducks, 2 to 1.

As the game continued, it appeared as if it was going to be one of those frustrating games where the Coyotes did a lot of things right and possessed the puck most of the time, but they wouldn’t score enough goals to win. But alas, the ‘Yotes were able to score three unanswered goals in the third period, and all 12 forwards had at least one point and made Coyotes history.
That’s why it’s so satisfying to watch the Coyotes “scratchin’ and clawin'” and win like they did against the Ducks.

Next up are the Philadelphia Flyers, who come to GRA for a Saturday night game at 6 p.m. Let’s go Coyotes!