GDT: Coyotes combat Rangers

Game Preview

The Arizona Coyotes have made their way across New York State to Manhattan to take on the New York Rangers. The team should be desperately looking to get a notch in the win column tonight before the road trip ends in Carolina with an early afternoon game on Sunday.

After taking responsibility for some of terrible plays that caused goals against, veterans Niklas Hjalmarsson and Alex Goligoski will especially be looking to have good games. Another group that has some making up to do is the young top line of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz and Lawson Crouse which barely registered any shots on goal for he entirety of the game against the Buffalo Sabres. Keller in particular should be looking to play well in front of his current and former coaches. David Quinn, head coach of the Rangers, was hiss head coach at Boston University where Keller scored 45 points in 31 games and won the Tim Taylor Award as college hockey’s top freshman.

The Coyotes are not the only team looking to get back in the win column. The Rangers just returned home from their own brutal road trip and have lost 4 of their lat 5 games. One, or rather two, bright spots for New York is the return of Mats Zuccarello and Pavel Buchnevich from injury. Zuccarello missed 13 of the last 15 games with a groin injury, and Buchnevich missed the last 13 games in a row with a broken thumb.

Players to Watch

Arizona: Adin Hill the young goalie is back in net after Kuemper started the last two games.

New York: Mika Zibanejad is leading the team in points and is tied for second in goals.

Injuries

Arizona: Alex Galchenyuk (questionable, lower body), Vinnie Hinostroza (lower body), Michael Grabner (eye), Antti Raanta (lower body), Jason Demers (knee), Christian Dvorak (pectoral)

New York: Cody McLeod (hand), Kevin Shattenkirk (shoulder)

Poll