Coyotes slow Flyers' playoff push behind Smith's 34 saves
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A rough game turned into a rough night for the Philadelphia Flyers' playoff push.
Shane Doan and Michael Stone scored in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the second period, Mike Smith made 34 saves and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Flyers 2-1 on Saturday.
The loss prevented the Flyers from taking sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia remained tied with the Detroit Red Wings, who lost to Pittsburgh 7-2 earlier in the day.
Sean Couturier scored the Flyers' goal on a power play with 40 seconds remaining.
The Coyotes want to put forth this type of effort to prove what they can be in the future, even if they're headed nowhere this season.
"It was a playoff-like mentality," Smith said. "They (the Flyers) were fighting for their lives, fighting for a playoff spot. I think we want to play like we're in the playoff games. ... If we want to move forward and be a playoff team, I think we need to match that intensity and match that work ethic."
Doan scored on a power play with 4:23 left in the second. Stone's goal, from just outside the faceoff circle, came with under a second to go in the period. Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol challenged that it was goalie interference, but the goal stood after a replay review.
Steve Mason had 15 saves as Philadelphia outshot Arizona 35-17.
"It was a great atmosphere in the building," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "Philly brings out the best in teams all over the place."
Doan and Stone both left with injuries in the third period in a game that ended with four 10-minute misconduct penalties in the final 2:15.
Doan appeared dazed when his head was pinned against the boards by Radko Gudas' elbow. Moments later, Stone's legs got tangled up with a Philadelphia player and he had to be helped off the ice.
Tippett said Doan seemed fine afterward but Stone's injury "looked pretty nasty."
Arizona's Martin Hanzal called Gudas' play "a little bit dirty. After he hit him, he kind of leaned to his head against the boards."
Flyers captain Claude Giroux left with an apparent head injury with 2:15 to go in the game. One of several intense skirmishes followed.
"It was competitive, it was emotional," Hakstol said. "We didn't quite get it done."
Tippett was upset that Gudas didn't get a penalty, while late in the game Hanzal received a 5-minute boarding penalty that the Arizona coach felt was unwarranted. Hanzal's penalty led to Philadelphia's late goal.
"Mike Smith was so good tonight," Tippett said. "He was excellent, and to spend the last couple of minutes on killing a penalty on that call (against Hanzal) was tough. I thought he probably deserved a shutout but that's the way the game goes. We'll take the win and move on."
As the second period neared an end, Arizona's Max Domi and Philadelphia's Brandon Manning were bumping each other just to the left of the net. Domi apparently knocked Mason's mask askew and the Flyers' goalie didn't see Stone's shot go in to the mostly empty net.
"My mask came pushed up to the side there," Mason said. "My chin guard got up in my line of sight and I couldn't see a thing."
He didn't even see Stone take the shot, he said.
First, the officials reviewed to make sure the goal came before time expired. Then they reviewed it again and decided against an interference call.
Philadelphia outshot Arizona 16-7 in the second period but had nothing to show for it.
The Coyotes were 1 for 21 on their last 22 power plays before Doan's goal broke a scoreless tie with 4:23 to play in the second period. Alex Tanguay got the puck to Antoine Vermette free at the left side of the net. Mason deflected the shot but Doan was there to tap it in for his team-high 26th goal of the season.
"I've got no problem for the way we played tonight," Mason said. "We worked hard, we carried the play for the majority of the hockey game, and I thought we deserved better."
NOTES: Doan moved past Mike Modano into sixth place all-time in games played with one franchise (1,460). ... Philadelphia has eight games to play, Detroit has seven. They are tied with 87 points. ... The Flyers are 10-3-2 in their last 15 games.
