Ducks send Coyotes to 11th loss in a row to start season

Anthony Stolarz helps Ducks send Coyotes to 11th straight loss to start season

The puck pops out of the glove of Ducks goalie Anthony Stolarz in front of Coyotes winger Christian Fischer (36).

Associated Press

Nov. 5, 2021 Updated 11:14 PM PT

Adam Henrique had a goal and an assist, Troy Terry extended his points streak to 10 games, and the Ducks sent the Arizona Coyotes to their 11th consecutive loss to start the season with a 3-1 win Friday night at Honda Center.

Sonny Milano and Sam Carrick also scored in the third straight victory for the Ducks (5-4-3), who have earned a point in six of their last seven games.

Anthony Stolarz made 28 saves for the Ducks before missing out on his fourth career shutout on Shayne Gostisbehere’s goal with 7.8 seconds to play. He still earned his first victory of the season for the Ducks, who had a six-game winless skid before outscoring their last three opponents by a combined 11-3 at home.

“I thought we did a good job keeping their chances to the outside,” Stolarz said. “They only had probably two or three quality chances from the slot. We just played the right way tonight.”

Rookie Karel Vejmelka stopped 28 shots for the Coyotes, who fell to 0-10-1. Arizona is the NHL’s remaining winless team and has tied the 2017-18 Coyotes for the franchise’s longest losing streak to start the season.

The Coyotes’ streak also matches three other teams for the second-longest winless skid to start a season in NHL history, according to the league’s record books. Only the 1943-44 New York Rangers have been worse — opening 0-11-0 and eventually going 0-14-1 before their first victory.

“Mentally, we had a lack of urgency,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “I understand we’re in a tough situation, but nobody will feel sorry for [us], so we need to show more character in our situation.”

The Ducks' Sam Carrick, left, celebrates his goal with Derek Grant, center, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx on Nov. 5, 2021.

Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf had an assist after being honored in a pregame ceremony for becoming the franchise’s career scoring leader. Getzlaf received a congratulatory hug from Teemu Selanne, who held the record until Getzlaf passed him Sunday with the 989th point of a 17-year career spent entirely in Anaheim.

Getzlaf now has 993 points and likely will soon be the 92nd member of the NHL’s 1,000-point club. After contemplating retirement this past summer, he is enjoying a revitalized year with the Ducks’ talented young core, racking up a five-game points streak and earning 11 points in 12 games.

Terry got the secondary assist on Henrique’s goal in the opening minute, giving him the Ducks’ longest points streak since 2016 and matching Connor McDavid for the longest active streak in the NHL. It’s also the longest of Terry’s career and makes him the sixth player in franchise history to extend a points streak to 10 games.

Henrique put the Ducks ahead just 34 seconds into the first period when Getzlaf’s pass deflected off a skate and off the boards before going straight to Henrique at the far post, where he scored his fifth goal.

“I thought it was a great game by us,” Carrick said. “Obviously it helps when you can score on the first shift and you’re playing with the lead right off the bat. It’s a fun game.”

Henrique is off to a strong start to the new season with 11 points in 12 games. In February, Ducks general manager Bob Murray put Henrique on waivers just two seasons into his five-year, $29.125-million contract.

Henrique set up Milano’s power-play goal late in the first period. The Ducks have scored 10 power-play goals in 12 games this season after having the least effective power play in modern NHL history last season with just 11 during 56 games.

Carrick then drove the net and deflected home Derek Grant’s pass midway through the second period for his second goal of the season.