Lessons abound in Arizona Coyotes’ loss to NHL-leading Washington Capitals

WASHINGTON – With each team repping opposite ends of the standings, calling the second-to-last Coyotes’ clash with the NHL-leading Capitals a litmus test might not be as accurate as labeling it a teachable moment for a young group.

Either Arizona would learn how to compete with a premier team, a valuable reminder for a struggling organization no matter what time of the season it is, by doing what it takes. Or it’d learn by doing the opposite.

And after stumbling to a 4-1 final Saturday at Verizon Center, the Coyotes received their lesson via the latter.

“You can’t be in awe of the best teams in the league,” goalie Mike Smith said. “You gotta take it as a challenge and elevate your game and not go the other way. I don’t know if that was the case tonight. We have so many young guys in the lineup and not a lot of veteran guys. When the push is on, it’s hard to get lines going out there and changing momentum swings.”

BOX SCORE: Capitals 4, Coyotes 1

Many eye-openers were packed into the first period with a poor start being perhaps the most glaring takeaway.

The Capitals outshot the Coyotes 12-3, building an early cushion and gobbling up all the control to establish a lopsided feel – a vibe that very much reflected a No. 1 team vs. No. 29.

“I thought we were brutal in the first period, to be real honest,” coach Dave Tippett said.

Washington capitalized on its first power play when captain Alex Ovechkin ripped a shot past Smith from his usual post in the left faceoff circle at 8:31 of the first. The goal was Ovechkin’s 30th of the season and in reaching the plateau, he became just the third player in NHL history to score 30 or more goals in each of his first 12 seasons – joining Wayne Gretzky and Mike Gartner.

“Everyone knows it’s his spot,” Smith said. “It’s just funny how the puck ends up getting there, and no one’s close to him.”

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After that, center Nicklas Backstrom had a look alone in front that Smith gobbled up. The Capitals had another power play, this one a four-minute advantage after Ovechkin was high-sticked by defenseman Connor Murphy, and although they hemmed the Coyotes in their own zone for much of the opportunity, they couldn’t convert again and finished 1-for-4. Arizona was 0-for-4.

“We just didn’t execute,” Tippett said. “When you can’t put two passes together, that means the puck’s turned over a lot and the other team plays with the puck. They’re high skill. They’re a good team. If you’re not willing to make sure you do the right things with the puck, you’re going to be chasing the game. That’s where we were.”

Later in the period, Smith stopped a Kevin Shattenkirk shot off a 2-on-0 rush and then a short-handed breakaway by center Jay Beagle with seconds to go went wide.

“I was just trying to be solid in there and keep it close,” said Smith, who racked up 29 saves. “I think that’s definitely not the type of hockey that we want to be known for in the first period there. … To come in this building against this team, to have a first period like we did tonight was pretty sad.”

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Smith was just as steady in the second period, making 14 saves, and his play was the reason why the Coyotes trailed by only one early in the third. By then, the players in front of Smith had some jump in their stride – putting 11 shots on net in the second – and were eventually able to tie it at 12:29 when center Peter Holland buried a rebound off an Anthony Duclair shot with the scoring chance a byproduct of Duclair’s speed.

“Anthony was good,” Tippett said. “He was one of the few players in the first period I thought was good. He had a pretty good night.”

But Washington persevered with a pair of goals in 32 seconds. The first came at 15:21, a rising shot off the rush by winger Daniel Winnik. Winger Justin Williams added an insurance market at 15:53 with a slap shot before Winnik scored an empty-netter with 1:39 to go.

Capitals goalie Braden Holtby finished with 28 saves.

“We made a couple poor reads by our defensemen, and it cost us the game,” Tippett said.

The win improved the Capitals to 106 points, tops in the league and 43 more than the Coyotes have, and although they had to shake off the Coyotes in the third, their poise when it mattered was a telltale sign of an elite team. That’s probably a nod to the confidence players have in their talent, but the other lesson the Coyotes seemed to pry away from this loss was how much hard work factors into the equation.

“It wasn’t about skill,” Smith said. “It was about compete, having pride in the game, playing an honest game and we didn’t come out with that at all in the first period. As the game went on, we got better. But the effort level in the first was minimal.”

The ability to execute is key, too, another disparity that was on display.

But the chance to complete those plays has to be there to start with, and that usually is determined by hustle.

“You gotta outwork them and when the play’s there to get made, you have to make it,” center Jordan Martinook said. “You gotta take care of the puck because if you keep giving it back to them, they’re going to be coming full speed. It just comes down to work ethic.”

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

Report

Key player

Capitals winger Daniel Winnik scored twice.

Key moment

The Capitals moved ahead 2-1 at 15:21 of the third period on a goal off the rush by Winnik.

Key number

2 goals by the Capitals in 32 seconds by the Capitals in the third period.

View from the press box

The score finally caught up to the feel of the game with the Coyotes absorbing a three-goal loss, but the margin of defeat could have been much worse based off how the Coyotes debuted. They struggled to clear the blue line, gain the offensive zone and simply string passes in between. It took an impressive showing by goalie Mike Smith to keep the deficit at only one by the time the period ended. And even though the players found their legs as the game progressed, a better start should be on the Coyotes’ radar their next time out.