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Two Ways to Look at the Same Thing

November 6, 2019, 8:30 PM ET [51 Comments]
James Tanner
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"Coyotes Blow Two Goal Lead, Lose in Overtime."

Is one way to look at last night's game, but it's the wrong way.

The Coyotes didn't "blow" a lead.

They blew the game, by playing like crap.

Had they held on to the lead, it would have just been because of insano goaltending.


If you have 100 shots on net, you can expect ten goals.

So if you're well on your way to 100 shots on net, and you're down by a couple goals, it's more a matter of time than anything else.

The question last night should never have been "can the Coyotes hold on" but rather "is this game short enough that the Coyotes can avoid getting what they deserve."

The answer was a resounding no.

But the narrative will be that the Coyotes blew a lead. That is technically correct, but very misleading.

The Calgary Flames had 43 shots and 82 shot-attempts (full game, not just 5v5). That is an insane amount of pucks put on net.

The game was over pretty much from the start - at least existentially - as the complete beatdown that was the 1st period gave all Coyotes fans a deep seeded, hard to articulate feeling of dread.



Sure, the Coyotes had a lead, but it didn't feel like it.

Overall, the Flames destroyed the Coyotes with about 60% of the shot-attempts at 5v5.

Each team split a ton of PP minutes - almost nine each - but the Flames power-play was relentless, putting 20 shot attempts at the Coyotes.

So yes, it does suck when a late two goal lead is blown in the span of a minute, then you lose in overtime.

But for most of the night, it felt like one of those Coyotes games where only a magical gaurdienne du buts can prevent a loss.

But when Calgary tied and then subsequently won the game, it didn't feel like the Coyotes were blowing it as much as it felt like the inevitable had occurred.

So sure, you can't be blowing late leads, but you also can't play like crap for an entire game and then feel bad when the lead you didn't deserve runs away with the spoon.

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