The Phoenix Coyotes' woes in overtime continued on Saturday night, losing a heartbreak, 2-1, to the visiting Buffalo Sabres. The loss was the Coyotes' ninth in the extra frame this year, with just two wins after being one of the top teams in overtime and shootouts last season.
Phoenix's loss comes despite another solid performance from goaltender Jason LaBarbera. Just two nights after shutting out the Colorado Avalanche, "Barbzilla" nearly had another win on Saturday. The Coyotes couldn't muster up any offense to back their goalie, despite his 30 saves.
The lone goal for Phoenix came from Scottie Upshall, who extended his team lead in goals to 12. Shane Doan is second with 10.
Upshall's goal came after a Jordan Leopold power play goal midway through the second period. The seldom seen Wojtek Wolski was hit with a tripping penalty, leading to the Buffalo goal just eight seconds later. Drew Stafford scored the OT winner for Buffalo.
The Coyotes outshot the Sabres all game, with the exception of its most crucial part. Phoenix managed just one shot in the overtime, compared to four from Buffalo. They outshot the Sabres 34-32 for the game, but Ryan Miller wouldn't allow any offense for Phoenix.
After losing seven overtime games all of last season, the Coyotes have now lost nine here in early January. They've won just two games decided in the extra frame.
The Coyotes will now hit the road for a pair of matchups against Central Division teams. They'll meet the St. Louis Blues on Monday and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Both teams currently trail Phoenix in the Western Conference standings.