The Phoenix Coyotes' impressive seven-game win streak came to an end, and so did the Anaheim Ducks' six-game losing streak, when the Ducks rolled past the Howlers 6-4 Saturday night.
The Coyotes didn't play too horrible -- at first (as usual, power plays aside). But when a team gives up five consecutive goals -- after going up 3-1 -- it's hard to pull out the W. And that's what the Howlers did Saturday night.
Three of the Ducks' five unanswered goals came from the same guy: winger Bobby Ryan.
Ryan's collection of goals was the fifth hat trick in 11 games at
Jobing.com Arena -- the first by a non-Coyote. After the game, he joked
with the Associated Press that he was "just happy to join the club."
The most important of Ryan's trio of goals was a bit of a fluke -- the
puck came right to him after a shot by Coyotes winger Wojtek Wolski
clanged off the post. The only person Ryan had to beat at that point was
Coyotes goalie Illya Bryzgalov, which he did to tie the game at three
in the second period.
"It came right to me," he said after the game. "They weren't sure who the first guy was
supposed to be back and gave me a little room, so I just tried to do
what I know how to do and that's shoot. I'll take the lucky ones, that's
for sure."
For the Coyotes, Shane Doan, Keith Yandle, and Scottie Upshall each had a
goal and an assist. But, per usual, the Coyotes' power
play sucked and they were only able to capitalize on the man advantage
once on six chances.
"I would say our penalty killing bailed us out," Anaheim coach Randy
Carlyle said, "and then our big guys that get paid all the money scored
some goals for us."
The Coyotes' power play -- or lack there of -- has been atrocious for
the last two seasons, and it's cost them games, including this one.
"We didn't get a lot of bounces tonight," Coyotes Coach Dave Tippett said, "but on the
other side I thought there was way too many occasions where we got beat
one-oin-one or didn't compete hard enough on a loose puck to even the
slate. They got some bounces and they capitalized on their bounces and
we didn't do enough to win."
The Coyotes take on the Predators tomorrow night in Nashville. For more info click here.
