'Yotes Notes: Panik Notches Goal, Assist in Loss to Avalanche

DENVER -Richard Panik produced a goal and an assist for the Coyotes on Saturday afternoon in a humbling 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.
The defeat snapped Arizona's point streak at four games.
Panik assisted on Christian Dvorak's goal at 2:14 of the first period, then pulled the Coyotes to within 3-2 with a goal at 15:09 of the second period off a pretty pass from Brad Richardson from behind Colorado's net.

The Avalanche scored two unanswered goals in a 1:55 span of the third period to secure the win.
"It was a good hockey game," Panik said. "They are battling for playoffs, and we don't want to play the rest of the games just for fun, we want to compete. I think it was entertaining to watch, but too bad we came up short."
Trailing 3-2 after two periods, the Coyotes managed just eight shots on goal in the third period, and only four on goalie Semyon Varlamov who was pressed into action in place of starter Jonathan Bernier, who left the game suddenly during a TV timeout.
"We just didn't have the power or energy to get more shots on net (in the third) or just make something (happen) around the net," Panik said.
Panik has chipped in two goals and two assists in the past five games as he settles in with the Coyotes after being traded to Arizona by Chicago on Jan. 10. In 20 games since the trade, he's produced two goals and six assists. On Saturday, he led the team with six shots on goal in 18:32 of ice time.
"I try to play more with my body, and just protect the puck more and play with the puck more," Panik said. "I think that's what's working now."

Head Coach Rick Tocchet has noticed better efforts from Panik lately.
"The last two games I thought he played really well and he's getting rewarded," Tocchet said. "That's what's going to happen, if you play well you're going to get rewarded with more ice time. He was good tonight."
• Dvorak scored a goal to move to within one point of matching his season total (33) from 78 games last season. Dvorak has notched 13 goals and 19 assists in 67 games this season.
• Derek Stepan and Laurent Dauphin both were helped off the ice after getting hit by shots by Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov during the third period. Dauphin did not return to the game because of a lower-body injury. Stepan did return. Look for the Coyotes to recall at least one forward from the American Hockey League before Sunday's home game vs. Vancouver to replace Dauphin, who likely will be sidelined.
• The teams combined to score four goals, three by Colorado and one by Arizona, in the first 4:22 of the game. Per the League, those were the fastest four goals to start an NHL game since Philadelphia beat Ottawa, 8-5, on Feb. 26, 1997.
"They came out skating, and obviously it took us probably 10-15 minutes to catch up to them," Jordan Martinook said. "But I felt like once we started moving our feet, because we weren't doing that in the first part of the game, it was a pretty even game. Even in parts of it I felt like we were dictating the pace ... When it's 3-2 going into the third, I think every guy in this room expects to put a push on them and try to win the game. That was no different tonight, we just fell short."

• The momentum of the game swung back to Colorado after the Coyotes committed a penalty for too many men on the ice at 10:10 of the third period. Tyson Jost scored a goal for the Avalanche on the ensuing power play to stretch Colorado's lead to 4-2.
"We were in pretty good control and, obviously, that penalty killed us," Tocchet said.
He added: "For the most part, we had some guys that really hustled and worked hard, but we had three or four or five guys who were passengers. We don't have a team to have passengers. We're getting consistent efforts from the same guys. We need some other guys to chip in. At the end of the game you can't have no shots and no hits. You've got to contribute."

• Antti Raanta missed a third consecutive game because of a lower-body injury. Rookie Adin Hill served as backup to Darcy Kuemper, who stopped 26 of 31 shots in his third consecutive start.
• The Coyotes announced before the game that Alex Goligoski's wife Amanda gave birth to the couple's second child - a daughter they named Mila Marie - on Friday night. Goligoski, who missed the team's past three games while waiting for the birth, is expected to rejoin the team for Sunday's home game vs. Vancouver.