Arizona Coyotes' climb gets tougher after difficult week

Pocketing only one point out of a possible six in a three-game, four-night return from the All-Star break widened the gap between the Coyotes and a playoff berth.

But a 0-2-1 showing against the Kings, Blackhawks and Ducks also revealed the standard in which the postseason regulars have elevated their play to as they gear up for potential best-of-seven series – an efficiency the Coyotes are still trying to match.

“Real good test for us,” coach Dave Tippett said. “You’re playing three of the top teams in the conference. Real good test for us. Something we can chew on for a few days and see where we’re at.”

After starting the week in the No. 3 seed in the Pacific Division, a playoff spot, the Coyotes fell to fourth place amid a four-game losing streak and sit three points behind the Ducks. They’re also trailing the pace set for the two wild-card berths in the Western Conference.

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The team will be idle until Wednesday, when it begins a three-game set against three more division foes, and despite recently enjoying a five-day timeout for the All-Star Game, the rest might be just what the Coyotes need.

Coach Dave Tippett canceled last Wednesday’s practice even though the Coyotes were thumped 6-2 by the Kings the night before because he said a few players arrived at the rink that day with flu-like symptoms. Following Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Ducks, Tippett announced the number of players under the weather was actually higher.

“We had six or seven guys couldn’t practice because they were sick,” Tippett said. “So we haven’t been very healthy this week.”

The Coyotes were also without center Boyd Gordon against the Ducks. He sat out with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Arizona could have used Gordon’s services in that game seeing as the team put Anaheim on the power play seven times.

After winger Tobias Rieder scored only 1:34 into the first period, penalty trouble made it difficult for the Coyotes to sustain that early momentum. The Ducks scored their first goal four minutes into the second period not long after a power play expired and then put a behind-the-net gaffe by goalie Anders Lindback into a yawning cage 1:06 later.

The Coyotes were able to even it at 2 on a power-play goal from captain Shane Doan that not only tied Dale Hawerchuk for the most power-play goals in franchise history (122) but also moved Doan within one point of Hawerchuk for the record for most points at 929 with his team-leading 19th goal.

That was as close as the Coyotes would get, though, as the Ducks tallied three in the third – one on a delayed penalty call and another on a power play. They actually had a fourth goal go in, but it was waved off for goaltender interference after Tippett issued a coach’s challenge.

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Arizona has surrendered at least five goals in four straight games.

“Tip’s laid everything out for us and explained everything to us,” Doan said. “We know exactly where we stand. We’ve put ourselves in the position that we’re in. ... No one’s going to hand us anything. (We) haven’t accomplished a thing, so we have to find a way to be better.”

The Coyotes have 30 games remaining, ample time to climb back into a playoff spot. But how they respond in their next handful of tests might determine exactly how many of those 30 dates will be meaningful.

“The next 20 games are so vital and so important,” Doan said. “You can’t try to pick it up in the last 10 and think you’re going to make up ground. As a young group, we’re going to have to make sure we stay alert to that. These next 20 games are huge for us. Everyone can get up for the last 10, but these next 20 – this is going to be it. We have to find a way to do it.”

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.