3 takeaways from Ottawa Senators’ 5-3 loss to Arizona Coyotes 

On Friday night, at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Arizona Coyotes ended their 14-game losing streak by beating the Ottawa Senators 5-3. Matias Maccelli led all players with three points, thanks to a goal and two assists, while Karel Vejmelka earned his first victory since Dec. 27 with 29 saves.

The Senators got goals from Vladimir Tarasenko, Shane Pinto and Drake Batherson, while Anton Forsberg ended the night with a .862 save percentage, making 26 saves.

Arizona ends their road trip in Washington on Sunday, while Ottawa hits the road for a contest in Philadelphia on Saturday night.

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Three takeaways from Ottawa Senators' 5-3 loss to Arizona Coyotes

#1 Ottawa becomes an answer to a losing streak trivia question

The Coyotes last won a game on Jan. 22, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2. Since then, Arizona had compiled a 0-12-2 streak, getting outscored 64-33 and losing four games by a single goal.

On Friday night, they jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, outshooting the Senators 18-11 in the opening period. Eventually, Ottawa tied the contest 3-3 in the second period, but a powerplay goal from rookie phenom Dylan Guenther proved to be the game-winner.

Marrccelli would add an empty net goal to secure the Coyotes' first win in over a month. Although the home team had their chances, Vejmelka stood on his head as the Coyotes ended the longest losing streak of the 2023-24 season.

#2 Ottawa falls behind early, catches up and lets the game slip away again

The Senators gave their opponent an early lead for the second straight game, falling behind 2-0 to the Washington Capitals on Monday. Like in that contest, Ottawa rallied to tie the game before watching it unravel again.

In front of the hometown crowd, Ottawa spotted a struggling visiting Coyotes team with a gracious 3-0 lead and stormed back to make it a contest with half the game to go.

Considering that they were projected to be a playoff team, these losses, paired with subpar goaltending, sums up their season, which is why they are 27th overall in the NHL standings.

#3 Coyotes tie Senators in NHL standings

Although Arizona was on an epic losing streak, they secured their 53rd point of the season, moving them into a tie with their Friday night opponent. Overall, there's not much separating the two teams in the standings besides the fact that the Coyotes have played two more games.

Statistically, Ottawa is stronger, with a goal differential of minus-15, compared to the minus-24 from the desert dogs. However, both clubs struggle to keep the pucks out of their nets and veterans meeting expectations.

Now that the season series is over, the two organizations can prepare for the upcoming NHL trade deadline while looking towards the 2024-25 season with better results.