The Arizona Coyotes’ long losing skid is finally over with a win over the Ottawa Senators. The win ended the longest losing streak this season in the NHL. The streak put the wild card chase to bed for the Coyotes, sending them to the basement of the division, only in front of the Chicago Blackhawks. Now on a two-game winning streak, the team seems to have put the memories of the streak behind them, but there were some revealing factors hidden in those losses. What can be some learning points for this young team in the streak they just went on?
Coyotes Cannot Play From Behind
A huge critique of the team from most fans and media was that the Coyotes couldn’t seem to play a full 60 minutes of hockey. They played well in the second period in a majority of the games but poor starts hampered the team. In most of the games, the Coyotes were scored on first within five minutes of the game starting.
If it wasn’t the beginning that sucked for the Coyotes, it was the ending. A good game to point this flaw out in was the game in Nashville on Feb. 10. With a decent lead going into the third period, they went on to blow their lead, letting the Predators come back and tie the game, and eventually win it in overtime.
Not every team can be like the Florida Panthers who have come back in games so often that they’ve adopted the nickname “Comeback Cats.” The Coyotes haven’t been known to play that type of hockey despite some games this season depicting it. The team needs to stick to the way they play which is putting up low shot totals but making those shots high-danger opportunities.
“It’s a process right now for us,” head coach Andre Tourigny said. “We’re going through an extremely tough situation. We’re the second-youngest team in the league. We’re growing, we’re learning out of it. Sometimes learning is through pain and we’re going through that right now. It’s really frustrating. In the last two games, I think we played like the Yotes. We played with a lot of energy, a lot of drive, a lot of passion. I’m proud of the way the guys have battled. Unfortunately, you could see the pressure getting to us. Like I said, we’re a young team, it’s a process. We’re proud of the way we battle. At the same time, we have to learn, learn to play in those critical situations. It’s the same thing, being down 3-0 in a series or being done 3-1, and you need to win the next game. It’s a lot of pressure. So our young team is learning.”
We’ve seen the Coyotes play some periods of hockey that looked like the team that took down the five most recent Stanley Cup champions earlier in the season. However, if they continue giving up the first goal within seconds and/or minutes of the opening period, they won’t be getting wins like they were back then. It’s something that appears to have been fixed in their most recent winning streak but with the amount of times it’s happened in the month of February, it’s going to take an extended amount of time to convince the fans that it won’t happen consistently again.
When Nick Schmaltz is Cold, He’s Cold
In the 11 losses the Coyotes suffered in February, they looked to their leaders to try to get them out of the losing skid. One player that needed to step up was Nick Schmaltz and unfortunately, he didn’t. He only scored six points in the month, three of them goals. It’s not good enough for the back-to-back 50-plus point scorer.
It wasn’t just the offense that was poor for Schmaltz. His complete game was noticeably bad, constantly giving up the puck and making poor defensive plays. In the 11 games, he was never a positive plus/minus player. It got to the point where Tourigny had to break up the Clayton Keller-Schmaltz duo that had been one of the best lines for the team in the most recent couple of years.
Now Schmaltz has possibly found himself on the trade block thanks to the hole the Coyotes are in now. It’ll be interesting to hear what teams offer for the forward. When he’s at his best, he has the ability to be a top-line player. He’s shown that in his time with the team playing consistently on a line with Keller. However, it’s arguable that the Wisconsin native is at his lowest point right now. While he’s been better recently, scoring four points in just two games in March, he might barely hit 50-plus points this season after a disastrous February.
Keep in mind, that Schmaltz was held out of the lineup for the past two seasons for an extended period due to injury. Injuries have always been the main problem for the forward. This season, he’s avoided it for the most part but it is a concern. He has two more seasons left on his contract after this season but he also has a modified no-trade clause on his contract as well. It’s unknown if Schmaltz will find himself being traded from the Coyotes this trade deadline but with his questionable play over the long losing streak, he’s certainly placed himself in discussions.
Confidence is a Learning Process
One of the quotes that came out of the losing streak that spoke volumes about the team was Tourigny’s quote after their loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 19. It was the 10th straight loss and the feeling in the locker room wasn’t good. He confirmed that confidence was at an all-time low but also added it’s another lesson to learn in order to compete.
“We’re not confident,” Tourigny said. “That’s exactly what you have to learn. It’s easy to play when you’re confident. When you’re confident, you’re playing with energy, playing with pace. Life is good, the sky is blue, life is good. It’s about how you carry yourself outside of the rink. It’s how you carry yourself on a non-gameday. It’s how you carry yourself prior to the game. It’s how you carry yourself in the game. In a tough moment when the opponent controls all of it, we need to be able to stop the bleeding and obviously right now, our confidence is extremely fragile. We need to learn to get that back and play in that situation and want to play in those situations because that young team is a really good young team. They will play those really critical games at some point. So they need to know how to handle it and we’re in one right now. It’s a process we’re learning.”
The quote helped remind fans that this is still an extremely young team. One that needs to take steps in order to compete. Even growing confidence is something that young players need to learn especially in hard times.
The Kids Are Alright
It might have been a rough month for most players but for the youth, it was one to be proud of. Logan Cooley continued his good play from before the All-Star Break into February. His connection with fellow rookie Dylan Guenther helped the two become reliable offensive producers when the rest of their team wasn’t. While it didn’t show on the scoresheet with only three points, Cooley was setting up fantastic plays that led to some great chances.
Ever since being called up to replace Jason Zucker in the lineup, Guenther has impressed many with his play and it continued in the month of February. He had five points in total and looked good on a line with Cooley. He’s put up a good fight to stay in the lineup and not be sent back down to the American Hockey League (AHL). In fact, Tourigny consistently called the line with the two rookies one of the better ones night after night throughout the month.
While Matt Villalta didn’t have the first NHL start he wanted, it showed that he might have a future in the big leagues. He didn’t allow a goal in relief of Karel Vejmelka against the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 16 and was able to fend off Connor McDavid and the Oilers for most of the game later that week. The goaltender might not be ready for a NHL position but it showed that the Coyotes made a good choice in signing the 24-year-old this past offseason.
Villalta has also helped the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL have sustained success this season. While the Coyotes were struggling, their AHL affiliate has thrived, now near the top of the Pacific Division. Villalta has been a big reason as he’s thrived in net and has earned massive praises from the coaches down south.
“Our goaltending this season so far has been really good,” Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin said. “He’s (Villalta) been outstanding and has been our MVP this year so far.”
There’s been a lot of interesting names emerging with the Roadrunners as well. The obvious one is Josh Doan who has 22 goals this season, which is near the top of the league. The Arizona native also has 38 points. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets called up after the trade deadline for his first stint in the NHL or if the organization decides to keep him down in the AHL to help the Roadrunners compete for a top playoff spot in the division.
Another player who may get a call up soon is Aku Raty who has come out of nowhere as a very intriguing prospect. The forward is second in points on the team with 30 and has impressed many with his speed and his hard work to get to the front of the net. He’s been another player that Potvin has been impressed with.
“He’s just one of those guys that shows up every day and wants to learn and wants to be a part of it,” Potvin said. “He loves putting the gear on and loves being at the arena. We’re real happy to have him here. We’re real happy to see him have success and he plays a man’s game for a young kid.”
With rookies like Conor Geekie and Maveric Lamoureux potentially coming to the Roadrunners after their seasons end, the team could threaten not just for a playoff spot but also be a massive competitor for the Calder Cup this season. It’s good news for the Coyotes as their youth enjoys success early in their careers.
This Team Isn’t a Playoff Team
It’s plain and simple and it took a 14-game losing streak for most to realize, this team isn’t ready for the playoffs and that’s okay. The Coyotes are arguably in the space right between a rebuild and competing for a playoff spot. It’s okay to not make the playoffs right now. The youth is still growing not just with the Roadrunners but with the Coyotes as well. They are also still trying to find their identity. The entire core isn’t intact yet so it’s not surprising that the team will most likely miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
Besides, general manager Bill Armstrong did say at the start of the season that he doesn’t expect this team to make the playoffs. He reaffirmed this a couple of weeks ago as well liking where the team’s direction is currently heading.
Related: Coyotes’ Past Deadlines Show GM Armstrong Will Be Busy Again
“I feel like the team has been up and down a little bit,” Armstrong said. “We go on win streaks and losing streaks. We’re one of the youngest teams in the National Hockey League and you’re going to get a little bit of those streaks, especially this time of the year. With younger players, it’s a hard grind. It’s a hard schedule. I felt like we’ve taken steps, two steps forward one step back at times. I like where we’re at in terms of our talent, our fight, our culture, and where we’re moving to.”
In the end, it’s okay if the Coyotes don’t make the playoffs. Any form of improvement from last season is a sign of progress. The early season success and playoff hunt were proof that this team is heading towards future constant winning. Unfortunately, they had a rough February, but this team is still building and learning how to play competitive hockey. The 14-game losing streak might’ve shown a lot of negatives but it also shows that they are still learning how to compete in this league. After all, you have to learn to win before you actually do it consistently.
