Coyotes Game 29 Preview: Looking to bounce back in SoCal

Game Preview

After a heartbreaking loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday night, the Arizona Coyotes will look to bounce back in Southern California as they take on the Anaheim Ducks for the second time this season.

The Coyotes are coming into this one with a 5-21-2 record and have lost their last six games.

On the other hand, the Ducks are flying with a 17-9-5 record, as they have continued to shock the NHL world this season.

They rank fifth in power play percentage and are in the top half of the league in just about every single offensive category. Anaheim has also been solid defensively and great on the penalty kill, so this won’t be easy for the Coyotes.

The Ducks just ooze offensive talent, with the likes of Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras, and Sonny Milano making them all very entertaining to watch, as we saw with that filthy Michigan-like pass just a couple of games ago.

In net for the Ducks, you can expect to see Anthony Stolarz. He’s been a great backup goaltender to John Gibson this season, going 6-2-1 with two shutouts and a .932 save percentage.

For the Coyotes, expect to see Scott Wedgewood get the nod as he looks to debut his new Arizona set-up with a victory. He’s 3-9-2 on the season with a .905 save percentage and hasn’t won a game since November 20th against Detroit.

The team will need to fare without Lawson Crouse, who has been one of their more consistent players this season. His absence will definitely be felt, but they need to adapt quickly without him.

The Coyotes will hope to not fewer penalties tonight. They had the game in the bag against New York until they took two terrible late-game penalties. They need to be more disciplined.

Players to Watch

Arizona: Cam Dineen - Dineen had a great game against the Rangers and is slowly finding his way into being a key piece to this Coyotes blue line. Through the season, he has three assists through 10 games played, along with 11 blocked shots and three hits. I think he has a solid chance at burying his first goal tonight.

Anaheim: Trevor Zegras - Sometimes, the best answer is the most simple one, and that’s the case here. Every time you watch a Ducks game, the answer to this question is Trevor Zegras. His exciting hands, quick release, amazing skating all go hand-in-hand as to why he is one of the most exciting players to watch, despite playing for a small market. Keep your eyes on him at all times.

Injuries

Arizona: Jay Beagle (IR-NR - COVID-19), Carter Hutton (IR - Ankle), Ryan Dzingel (OUT - Upper-Body), Lawson Crouse (IR-NR - COVID-19), Christian Fischer (DAY-TO-DAY - Upper-Body), Jakob Chychrun (IR - Upper-Body), Conor Timmins (IR - Knee), Dmitrij Jaškin (IR - Knee)

Anaheim: Adam Henrique (IR - Lower-Body), John Gibson (OUT - Lower-Body), Max Jones (IR - Pectoral), Maxime Comtois (IR - Hand)

Puck Drop

The game will be at the Honda Center at 8 p.m. Arizona time on ESPN+.