GLENDALE
Frans Nielsen Jersey Kids , Ariz. (AP) Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the Arizona Coyotes aren’t going to the NHL playoffs this season. However, that
doesn’t mean they’re taking it easy against contending teams.Ekman-Larsson
scored twice late in the third period, including his 100th career goal, to lead
the Coyotes to a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.The 26-year-old
is just the second Coyotes defenseman to reach the milestone and the 18th player
in franchise history to do so.”That just means I’m doing something good out
there,” Ekman-Larsson said.The Coyotes previously hung tough into the third
period before losing against playoff-bound Nashville and Minnesota, and beat Los
Angeles in a shootout.”We understand we are not in the playoffs, but we
understand we are playing teams that are going in the playoffs,” Coyotes
assistant coach John MacLean said. ”We understand we have to match their
intensity … we didn’t back off all night.”Max Domi also had two goals for
Arizona, including an empty-netter with 21 seconds left
Gordie Howe Jersey , and had an assist on Ekman-Larsson’s tiebreaking goal. Richard Panik scored early in the second period for the Coyotes, and Antti
Raanta stopped 42 shots.Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist, and Sean
Monahan also scored as Calgary – with its wild card hopes fading – lost for the
fourth time in five games. Mike Smith finished with 25 saves.Domi stole a pass
in the Calgary zone and beat Smith to tie the score at 2-2 with about 2 1/2
minutes left in the second period.Both teams missed several scoring chances in
the third period until Ekman-Larsson put the Coyotes ahead with 3:41 remaining,
then added an empty-netter 2:04 later for his 13th of the season to double the
lead.Smith started his first game at Gila River Arena since the Flames acquired
him from Arizona last summer. A video tribute to the Coyotes’ all-time leader in
games played and shutouts among goalies was shown during a stoppage in play in
the first period, and Smith offered a quick wave after being welcomed back.”It’s
disappointing, frustrating, you think you have an opportunity to get some points
here tonight and you let it slip away,” Smith said. ”So it hurts. We needed
tonight’s game. It was a big game for us and we let it slide again.”Arizona went
up 1-0 on Panik’s goal at 5:15 of the second. Panik fired in a wrist shot from
his knees off Clayton Keller’s cross-ice pass. Keller, a rookie
Authentic Gustav Nyquist Jersey , scored a point in his fifth straight game and has nine in his last 10 games. His 53 points lead the Coyotes this
season.The Flames tied it on Hamilton’s goal at 9:05 of the second, his 16th of
the season. Hamilton’s 43 points lead Calgary defensemen.The Flames took the
lead with 4:32 left in the middle period as Monahan put in a rebound for his
team-leading 31st. The advantage lasted just two minutes.Domi recorded his
second three-point night of the season.”I’ll take it, but all that matters is
the two points,” Domi said.Neither team scored in the first period, but a goal
by Monahan at with about seven minutes to go was disallowed because of a delayed
penalty. The Coyotes totaled six penalty minutes in the first, all related to
physical play and scuffles with Flames players.Domi was called for high sticking
and raised his penalty-minute total to 67, which leads the Coyotes.NOTES: The
Coyotes were without head coach Rick Tocchet on Monday, as he left the team to
attend his mother’s funeral near Toronto. Tocchet is expected to rejoin the
Coyotes on Wednesday when they visit Buffalo. … The Coyotes embark on a six-game
road trip after Monday’s game and will play eight of their final 10
regular-season games away from home. … Flames D TJ Brodie missed his first game
of the season, scratched due to an upper-body injury suffered Sunday at Vegas. …
F Matthew Tkachuk was also scratched
Womens Henrik Zetterberg Jersey , missing his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury. … C Sam Bennett served four penalty minutes for roughing.UP
NEXTFlames: Host Anaheim on Wednesday night.Coyotes: At Buffalo on Wednesday
night. SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) The Florida Panthers were one of the best teams in the
NHL after the All-Star break, not that it counted for much at the end of the
regular season.Despite winning five games over the final seven days and tying
for first in the NHL with 25 victories over their final 35 games, the Panthers
failed to make the playoffs for the fifth time in six years and the 15th time in
17 seasons.”It’s disappointing,” said center Vincent Trocheck, who finished the
season with a team-high 31 goals. ”Everybody here had one goal, and that was to
make the playoffs and then go on a push. We were really hoping we’d get a little
help from some other teams and maybe get in. I think there’s a lot of teams that
didn’t want to play us if we got in.”The Panthers finished with a 44-30-8 record
for 96 points, matching the 2014-15 Boston Bruins for most points for a team
missing the playoffs. The Panthers were 25-8-2 after the All-Star break, tying
the Winnipeg Jets for most victories over the final 35 games.But Florida
couldn’t overcome a slow start. The Panthers was 4-8-2 in its first 14 games and
played catch-up the whole season. They held a playoff position for one day
(after the games of Oct. 12) the entire season.”We’re extremely proud of this
group
http://www.redwingsshoponline.com/authentic-jimmy-howard-jersey ,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. ”The effort they put forth, especially in the
second half of the season … 96 points is not easy to do in this league. It’s a
shame that we’re not in with that kind of a total. Maybe that’s something that’s
going to even drive us harder next year.”—Some things to know about the
Panthers’ disappointing 2017-18 season, and a look to `18-19:OFFSEASON PRIORITY:
The Panthers don’t seem to need much after their post-All-Star break
performance, particularly since every key member of the team is signed through
next season or beyond. The top seven scorers, as well as goalies Roberto Luongo
and James Reimer, are signed through the 2019-20 season. If anything, the
Panthers could use another scorer and maybe a defenseman, but the team has a
solid foundation in place.YOUTH IS SERVED: Perhaps the biggest reason for
optimism for the Panthers looking ahead has to do with a core that’s been around
for a few years but is still very young. The team’s top three scorers –
Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau – and top-four
defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Mike Matheson all are 24 or younger.HOME COOKING:
The Panthers’ season-ending five-game winning streak including a sweep of a
four-game homestand that featured games against two of the top four teams in the
NHL
Jonathan Ericsson Jersey , the Nashville Predators and the Boston Bruins. A 4-3 victory against the Buffalo Sabres in the home finale helped the Panthers
set a franchise record with 27 home victories, breaking the mark of 26 set in
1999-2000.STILL GOING: Defenseman Keith Yandle completed a ninth consecutive
season without missing a game, extending the longest active streak in the NHL to
715 consecutive games. Yandle ended the season with 56 points, one shy of the
franchise record for defensemen set by Robert Svehla in 1995-96. His blueline
partner Aaron Ekblad tied the franchise mark for defensemen with 16 goals, first
set by Jason Garrison in 2011-12.HOW LONG CAN LUONGO GO? Goalie Roberto Luongo
started three games in four nights last week as the Panthers made their final
push to the playoffs, and he joined Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy as the only
goalies to play 1,000 games when he defeated Boston on Thursday. But he did turn
39 on April 4 and missed 32 games this season because of injuries. The Panthers
will have to decide whether they want to come back next season with Luongo and
James Reimer as their goaltending duo.—
