By starting the 2017/18 NHL campaign with a record of 0-10-1, the Arizona Coyotes made the league’s record books for the worst start ever to a season. If there was any good news related to their catastrophic run it was the fact that the New York Rangers share the record for futility with them. However, the Rangers’ woes were suffered 74 years ago when the team kicked off the 1943/44 season with 11 straight losses in an era that didn’t feature overtime and shootouts.
The Coyotes managed to snap their losing skid on October 30thin dramatic fashion though with a 4-3 overtime win over the Flyers in Philadelphia. The Coyotes came close to blowing it however as they allowed a 3-1 lead to slip away in the final minute of regulation time. Philadelphia pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker and scored with 52.6 seconds to go to make the score 3-2. The home team then tied the game with just 15 seconds remaining on the clock to send it to overtime with goalie Brian Elliot back on the bench.
The nail-biting comeback was just the second time in Flyers’ history the club has scored twice in the final minute of a game to earn a point. The first time they pulled off the feat was back in 1980. Defenceman Alex Gologoski saved the Arizona franchise’s embarrassment of possibly becoming the first ever club to lose their first 12 games of the year by scoring the winner with only 14.4 seconds to go in overtime. It was his first goal of the year and couldn’t have come at a better time. The victory means all 31 NHL teams now have at least one win under their belt in the new season.
The Coyotes still have a long way to go though if they hope to climb the standings and join the playoff race later this season. Their three points leaves them in the basement of the Pacific Division with a record of 1-10-1. They’ve scored 30 goals and allowed a league-high 51 against. But on the bright side, they’re just four points behind the Edmonton Oilers in the league standings and sit just five back of the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. But one of the reasons the Coyotes are off to such a brutal start has been injuries to key players.
The most notable absence in the lineup has been veteran goaltender Antti Raanta who has been out of action with a lower-body injury since October 12th. Backup Louis Domingue has seen the majority of the workload since then, but Arizona then made a deal with the New Jersey Devils on October 28th for their former backup goalie Scott Wedgewood. He became the sixth goalie on the team’s roster so far this season and earned the win over Philadelphia in his first start with the club.
The Coyotes definitely needed some help between the pipes as Domingue lost all six games he played, posted a save percentage of 85.8 and allowed 24 goals against on 169 shots. Goaltending hasn’t been the team’s only problem though as the squad’s shooting percentage was just 7.4 in the first 11 games, which ranked 28th in the league. However, there could be some light at the end of the tunnel now the monkey’s off their back and the goaltending situation has been shored up for now. But don’t expect the Coyotes to suddenly go on an extended winning streak, at least not until Raanta returns to the lineup.