Mika Zibanejad nets late GWG for Rangers, Coyotes still seek first win at Mullett Arena

Mike Gould
Mike Gould
Mika Zibanejad nets late GWG for Rangers, Coyotes still seek first win at Mullett Arena
Credit: Mike Gould/Daily Faceoff

Business in the front, party in the back, but no victory on the ice: the Arizona Coyotes are still in search of their first win at Mullett Arena.

Mika Zibanejad scored late in the third period for the New York Rangers on Sunday evening to seal a 3–2 win over the Arizona Coyotes in the second NHL game on Arizona State University campus.

Coyotes starter Connor Ingram made 36 saves on 39 shots against the Rangers while Dylan Guenther picked up a pair of assists for his first multi-point game in the National Hockey League.

Guenther helped set up Lawson Crouse and Nick Bjugstad for the Coyotes’ first two goals of the hockey game. Alexis Lafrenière and Artemi Panarin also tallied for the visitors.

The Rangers outshot the Coyotes 39–20 in the evening contest, including a 15–7 spread in the first period. Visting goaltender and reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin stopped 18 of the 20 Coyotes shots he faced in the contest.

Coyotes head coach André Tourigny included defenceman Patrik Nemeth in the starting lineup on Sunday, giving him a chance to start strong against a Rangers team that parted with two draft picks to clear his $2.5 million salary over the summer.

After a scoreless opening frame on Sunday, the Rangers struck first just 91 seconds into the second period when Panarin found Lafrenière for an easy back-door tap-in past Ingram. K’Andre Miller also picked up an assist on Lafrenière’s second goal of the season.

But at the 6:45 mark of the middle frame, Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse finished off a pretty passing sequence on the power play for his third goal of the year (and his first with a goaltender in the opposing net).

Crouse signed a five-year contract extension over the summer to remain with the Coyotes through 2027. Guenther and Matias Maccelli recorded the helpers on his game-tying goal.

The goal horn at Mullett Arena didn’t work during the Coyotes’ home opener against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, but it sounded loud and clear after Crouse found the back of the net to make it 1–1 against the Rangers.

Shortly after the midway mark of the second period, Coyotes forward Nick Bjugstad took advantage of a gaffe by Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren to give the home side the lead over the New Yorkers.

Guenther and Clayton Keller received credit for the assists on Bjugstad’s first goal as a Coyote, but it was very much an individual effort on the part of No. 17 in black — and a major miscue by No. 55 in white.

The Rangers answered back with just 1:53 to play in the second period.

After taking a stretch pass from Adam Fox in stride, Panarin burst into the Coyotes’ end down the right side and flipped a sharp-angle wrister past Ingram to restore the tie.

At the 12:56 mark of the third period, with Guenther sitting in the box after taking a hooking penalty in the offensive zone, Zibanejad received a cross-crease feed from Chris Kreider and roofed the puck to restore the Rangers’ one-goal lead.

The Coyotes pressed for another game-tying goal late in the third period but Shesterkin shut the door. The score remained 3–2 through to the final buzzer.

With the loss, the Coyotes fell to 2–5–1 to kick off the 2022–23 regular season (including an 0–1–1 record in their first two home games at Mullett Arena). The Rangers improved to 5–3–2 to tie the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Coyotes’ first homestand at Mullett Arena is now half complete. They’ll face the Florida Panthers on Nov. 1 and the Dallas Stars on Nov. 3 before embarking upon a 14-game road swing.

Daily Faceoff will have more on the Coyotes’ first Mullett Arena homestand — including perspectives from home and visiting players — on Monday and Tuesday.

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