Sarah McLellan

azcentral sports

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Coyotes’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson is an offensive playmaker and a power-play quarterback.

He has a knack for scoring game-winning goals – especially in overtime – and his prowess with the puck has helped him earn a spot in team and NHL record books.

But Ekman-Larsson is also a defenseman.

A No. 1 defenseman, to be exact.

“I think the perception out there is Oliver is an All Star in the sense that he’s a point-producing guy,” said Coyotes associate coach Jim Playfair, who oversees the defense. “Well, he does that but I think he does it very well from a defending base. And as long as he’s consistently focusing on his defense, he sets us up to be a good team and he understands that.”

RELATED: Coyotes complete back-to-back sweep of Oilers

Just how effective Ekman-Larsson can be at his chief responsibility has been magnified of late since he was tasked with slowing down the league’s top point-getter Connor McDavid in a back-to-back set against the Oilers recently – an assignment he passed with the Coyotes posting consecutive wins, only the second time that’s happened this season, to have a chance to sweep their brief two-game road trip when it wraps Tuesday against the Sharks.

And while chipping in offensively is still a priority, Ekman-Larsson takes plenty of pride in fulfilling the definition of his position.

“I’m helping the team out by shutting the top players down, and the other guys can go out and try to score goals,” he said. “That’s my part of this team. I’m a defenseman. That’s what I’m going to do first of all.”

Ekman-Larsson has faced the opposition’s best all season long; coach Dave Tippett doesn’t tell him he’s going to be matched up against the other team’s top line before every game. It's pretty much a given.

And he enjoys it.

“It’s a good challenge for me,” Ekman-Larsson said. “I think you need that to get better in this league. I get the chance to play against the top players in this league, obviously it’s going to make me push myself a little bit more and I’m going to get better from it. I like it.”

MORE: Oilers' new building inspires Coyotes' arena plans

The 25-year-old figures he started going head-to-head with No. 1 units about three or four years ago after starting his career against second, third and fourth lines.

“A lot of guys like that, they come up and get their opportunity because of an injury or whatever and they jump in the role and they take off with it,” Tippett said. “That’s exactly what happened with Oliver I think. He played so well you couldn’t keep him out of that role.”

Although he gets a rundown of the opposition in team meetings before games and catches the highlights from around the league, Ekman-Larsson doesn’t go out of his way to scout an opponent.

Instead, he focuses on what he can control.

“I know what I have to do to be prepared for that challenge,” he said.

And his best approach is accentuating his strengths.

“He’s a great skater,” Tippett said. “Good stick. He’s not an overly physical guy, but he takes time and space away.”

That proficiency was clear in the 2-1 win over the Oilers Sunday as Ekman-Larsson helped limit the number of odd-man rushes the McDavid line had after the unit had many more opportunities Friday in a 3-2 shootout win for the Coyotes – one of which ended in a breakaway goal by McDavid after he cruised by Ekman-Larsson.

“That’s what top players do,” Playfair said. “They don’t need a whole bunch of video. They don’t need a whole bunch of talking. They just need a quick reminder of a skill set they have.”

Ekman-Larsson received one of those check-ins recently as the Coyotes felt he “didn’t really have a good sense or a real good feel about his game,” Playfair said, for the five-to-six games before the Edmonton back-to-back.

He needed to move his feet with urgency, to skate with the puck. In doing so, he’d help beef up the Coyotes’ transition play and also put himself in a solid position to be able to defend the counterattack.

“The details that we felt he could improve on he improved upon them instantly with real good focus and real good intensity,” Playfair said.

RELATED: Perspective key for Coyotes' Doan amid slump

And a strong defensive posture could lead to offensive production, which is an undeniable staple of Ekman-Larsson’s style.

He led the Coyotes in points the past two seasons and tied the franchise record for most goals by a defenseman in a season (23) in 2014-15 before scoring another 21 in 2015-16. Ekman-Larsson also set the NHL record that season for most game-winners (eight) by a defenseman in a single season.

“I know I’m going to get my chances to get points if I’m doing the right things in the ‘D’ zone and keep working hard in that area of the game,” he said.

Even so, Ekman-Larsson said he isn’t focused on racking up his point total. He wants the Coyotes to improve as a team and if they do, he believes the contributions will come from elsewhere in the lineup and he won’t be the catalyst.

But Ekman-Larsson's value to the Coyotes isn't likely to diminish should this evolution happen because a defenseman who can shut down the other team’s best players will always be imperative.

“You can’t win unless you have people do that,” Tippett said. “That’s just the reality of the situation.”

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

Tuesday's game

Coyotes at Sharks

When: 8 p.m.

Where: SAP Center.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Arizona/KMVP-FM (98.7).

Coyotes update: Goalie Mike Smith, who’s stopped 73 out of 76 shots the last two games, rested Monday instead of practicing and is scheduled to start against the Sharks. Goalie Louis Domingue participated in Monday’s session. Domingue is currently on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and coach Dave Tippett thinks Domingue will be able to return around the time he’s eligible to come off injured reserve later this week. “Making progress,” Tippett said. “He got through practice, which is a good sign. He still wouldn’t be able to play, but to get through a practice is the first step.” The Coyotes returned center Tyler Gaudet to the American Hockey League Monday with center Laurent Dauphin playing Sunday after suffering an upper-body injury Friday. Arizona’s roster sits at 22 players, one below the 23-man limit.

Sharks update: The Sharks are currently second in the Pacific Division with 25 points. They haven’t played since Saturday when they fell 3-2 to the Ducks. Before that, the Sharks had won three in a row. Overall, they’re 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. San Jose is 7-3 at home. Defenseman Brent Burns was named the NHL’s third star of the week Monday after he tallied six points in four games last week. Burns is tied with captain Joe Pavelski for the team lead in points with 20. His eight goals pace the group. The Sharks are winless against the Coyotes in two tries this season. They lost 3-2 Nov.1 and then 3-2 in overtime Nov.19.