They practiced, rested and even had a players-only chat in the corner of the rink after their coach gave a spirited talk.
But when the Coyotes returned to action after stewing over a four-game losing streak that dropped them out of a playoff spot during a four-day break in the schedule, their woes were right where they left them.
The combination of work, time away from the ice and a heart-to-heart couldn’t solve a tired and depleted Canucks team that managed to sweep a back-to-back on the road after mustering a 2-1 win over the Coyotes Wednesday in front of 12,255 at Gila River Arena.