Typically, it's not difficult to find at least some positives for the Phoenix Coyotes, even after a loss. That certainly wasn't the case for Phoenix on Wednesday night, as they took a beating at the hands of the NHL's top team, the Vancouver Canucks, losing 6-0.
Things didn't start off so terrible for Phoenix. While they didn't necessarily look good in the first period, they outshot the Canucks 9-8 and went into the second period, trailing only by one goal, scored by Alex Burrows.
It was all downhill from there.
The Coyotes gave up a goal early in the second, and another later on Cody Hodgson's first NHL goal, putting the Canucks up 3-0.
The third period was the Ryan Kesler show. The All Star scored a pair of goals in the game's final frame, which bookended a Mason Raymond goal, to account for all six Vancouver goals.
The play of the All Star Kesler was certainly a contrast of the play of fellow All Star, Keith Yandle. Yandle had, without question, his worst game of the year, posting a minus-4 and was hit with a game misconduct towards the end of the game. Obviously, given the shutout, his 10-game point streak is no more.
Ilya Bryzgalov didn't last the entire night, as expected when the starting goaltender gives up the amount of goals that Bryz did on Wednesday. He stopped 27 of 33 shots, before being pulled around halfway through the third, in favor of Jason LaBarbera. Barbs surrendered the second Kesler goal, and stopped the only other shot he faced.
For a team like the Coyotes, that has struggled in maintaining confidence, a loss like this won't do them any favors. Luckily for them, they have a day off to rebound from back-to-back losses, and being outscored 11-3, before returning to the Jobing.com Arena ice on Friday.