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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Coyotes are 5-9-0 after 14 games with the fewest points in the NHL following Saturday night's 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins -- the second consecutive 1-goal loss at Gila River Arena.
Is it time to be concerned?
Depends on who you ask.
Goaltender Louis Domingue, who made 27 saves, senses that time's a wastin':
"If you fall behind like we're doing right now, we're not going to be tough to play against and teams are just going to come in here and think it's going to be an easy night, and we need to change that right away.
"Every single game we're chasing the game, and we just have to find a way to get back to playing like we know how and we're going to be fine. But it's got to start now, because the more you wait, the deeper you get."
Defenseman Michael Stone, who returned to the lineup after missing six games with a lower body injury, preaches a little more patience:
"It's still early. Yeah, we're at the bottom of the standings, but we all know we can play. It's just a matter of putting it all together, doing it every night. I don't sense any panic, it's early, we're close, but we're not close enough. What you need to do to win in this league is be better than close."
And then there's coach Dave Tippett:
"I think the more we continue to get our young players more and more experience, we're hoping to make them grow. There's nine players in our lineup tonight that are first- and second-year players; that's unprecedented in the NHL right now. These players are going to grow and continue to get better; hence I think our team will get better."
The Bruins dominated the first two periods, but with Domingue playing solidly in the net, they led only 2-0 on goals by Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak 1:50 apart midway through the second period.
Radim Vrbata cut the lead in half, scoring his team-leading sixth goal with 8 minutes to play, and the Coyotes kept the pressure on until the final horn but were unable to get the tying goal past Tuukka Rask.
"Overall we're close, but it's not good enough," Vrbata said. "This is a league where you need points, so even though we've lost most of the games by one point, it's not good enough."
Domingue called it a game of inches and admits he doesn't have the answers.
"You've got to look at yourself in the mirror and find what you can do better," he said. "There's no excuses. We're here to win games, and if you don't someone else will do you're job.
"We're last in the league, we've been there for a long time now. So if you haven't done it yet, there's a problem."
Tippett said he's hoping the team gets center Martin Hanzal and goaltender Mike Smith back from injury before the team begins a two-game road trip to Calgary and Vancouver on Wednesday. Hanzal's absence in the face-off circle was especially problematic against the Bruins, as the Coyotes won only 24 of 67 face-offs.
"I think we'll get Hanzal and Smith back on Wednesday, and I think that'll be a big boost for our group," Tippett said.
