The Arizona Coyotes have had a tough stretch of games, but now, they find themselves falling to the bottom of the standings. With the 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, the team has lost eight games in a row. The team that was once in a wild card spot finds itself near franchise history in a bad way. Here are some takeaways from Friday night’s loss.
Dylan Guenther Continues to Be a Beam of Light
If there’s one good thing about Friday night, it was Dylan Guenther. The Edmonton native scored his fifth goal in his 16th game with a wicked wrist shot. He continues to cement himself as a very promising player now and in the future, especially considering he was only supposed to play a couple of games with the Coyotes during the Jason Zucker suspension.
Guenther has thrived on a line with Logan Cooley. The pair have been playing fantastic hockey ever since right before the All-Star break, while the rest of their team has struggled to put up any offensive numbers.
“I liked them a lot,” head coach Andre Tourigny said. “I played them a lot today. If you look at the ice time on five and five, they’re the line I used the most. I think they had pace, and they had energy. They made a little mistake on the first goal, but for the most part, I was happy about their play.”
It seems like no matter who centers that line; it’s a trio that gets the job done on both sides of the ice. When Cooley isn’t shining, Guenther is. When Guenther isn’t, Cooley is. It’s a line that has impressed many, including their coach.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens around the trade deadline. If the Coyotes move out some pieces from the forward group, the line could get even more ice time. Josh Doan might even get called up, and his unreal connection with Guenther in the AHL might create even more opportunities for the offense to be even better.
Matt Villalta Continues His Storybook Season
There might not be any better story in the Coyotes organization than Matt Villalta. Villalta played in the Los Angeles Kings organization with the Ontario Reign for four seasons, putting up subpar numbers but never getting the opportunity to play in the big leagues.
This season, the 24-year-old has been the starting goaltender for the Tuscon Roadrunners after signing a one-year deal with the Coyotes over the offseason. He’s helped lead the Roadrunners to a top spot in the Pacific Division, just a couple of points back of the first-place Coachella Valley Firebirds.
On Friday, Villalta finally got his chance to appear in an NHL game. After being recalled due to an injury to Connor Ingram, Villalta was put in the net during the third period, not allowing any goals to keep the score at 5-1.
I think down 5-1, it was an opportunity for him to get his feet wet a little bit and have a feel for the game,” Tourigny said. “I think he showed quickness. Same thing he did in the morning skate this morning. I think the thing I saw firsthand is that he’s really quick. He did good the time he was there.”
Despite the loss, for Villalta, it was a cool experience he and his family will never forget.
“From the game aspect, it’s not the result we’re looking for,” Villalta said. “On a personal note, it’s something very special and definitely a cool moment, despite the loss tonight. I’m just very thankful and fortunate for everyone who’s helped me as far as to get to this point and I tried to soak it all in as much as I could and stay in the moment at the same time. Definitely a cool moment for myself and my family.”
Villata will likely start a game in the next few days with a tough back-to-back on Sunday and Monday. He’s expected to remain with the Coyotes until Ingram recovers from injury in about a week.
Nearing Franchise History in the Worst Way Possible
The Coyotes are no strangers to long-losing skids. With this loss, the Coyotes are now on an eight-game losing streak. With one more loss, this season will mark the third straight season where the Coyotes have lost nine in a row. With two more losses, the team will tie the franchise record for the longest losing streak, 10 straight.
There was no fight in the team after going down 3-1 in the second period, and it showed as the Hurricanes scored two easy goals against the Coyotes. The team has no energy, and the quickly emptied locker room on Friday evening proved it.
“I think they (the Hurricanes) are a tough team to play in the second because of the way they apply pressure,” Tourigny said. “The way they don’t let you change, and that’s what happened with the third goal, we couldn’t change. We had a few turnovers in our zone, then we were tired. We’re not changing. We didn’t execute on the two times we could have breakout the puck. Then they score and make it 3-1, and they make it tough on us. I liked our answer in the third period. I liked the way we kept battling. Obviously, the way we started the game, it’s unfortunate. I think it’s not because we didn’t play well, but we need to be more detailed, and that’s on me. That’s my responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Related: Coyotes’ Losing Skid Hits 7 With Loss to Wild
It doesn’t get easier for the Coyotes. Their next three games are against the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. All three teams are top contenders in their respective divisions. It’ll be very interesting to see if the Coyotes can finally play some good hockey again like we saw earlier in the season and snap the long-losing skid before it makes franchise history.
The Coyotes will play the Avalanche next at Ball Arena in Denver on February 18. The Avalanche are currently 33-18-4 and are second in the Central Division.
