Game Preview
After two days off, the Arizona Coyotes are back in action for the final game of their three-game homestand. It has been a mixed bag for the Desert Dogs, who want to bounce back from a 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets last Saturday.
It was a rough loss for the Coyotes, one we have seen before this season. The Coyotes did a good job getting the lead, but they couldn’t keep it and allowed the Jets to score three unanswered goals to take the game.
Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy fix for that issue because everyone and everything needs to be better. Goaltending needs to be better in tight games, the skaters need to control the pace of the game, they need to score more, they can’t take stupid penalties, and they need to be the team that wants to win more. There is no silver bullet that will solve all of those problems.
The Seattle Kraken come into tonight’s game with a similar record to the Coyotes. They are 4-6-2 through 12 games this season and are fifth in Pacific Division behind the Golden Knights, the Canucks, the Kings, and the Ducks. Like the Coyotes, they also lost their last game.
Going into the season, it looked like Seattle would be a team that leaned heavily on their younger players. They have last year’s Calder winnerMatty Beniers, and it seemed like Shane Wright would be ready to make the leap after splitting last season between the professional leagues and the OHL.
Unfortunately for Seattle, their younger players have not been as successful as they hoped. Beniers is in the midst of a sophomore slump and has only four assists through 12 games, and Wright did not make the NHL out of training camp. Wright was given special permission to play in the AHL, which seems highly unfair to other prospects who can’t play in the league that is best for them because they have to play in the CHL.
Instead, the Kraken are being led by older players. Jaden Schwartz, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Vince Dunn all have ten points, while Jared McCann leds the team with six goals and has nine points. Of the four, Schwartz (31) is the only one over 30, so it isn’t like the Kraken are an ancient team.
Both teams are evenly matched on special teams, with the Kraken having a slight lead. Both have top 10 power plays (the Coyotes are 10th, and the Kraken is 8th) and bad penalty kills (the Coyotes are 25th, and the Kraken is 24th). Seattle does take far fewer penalties than Arizona, giving the Kraken another edge.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Lawson Crouse – Crouse had a goal and an assist in the Coyotes’ last game and comes into tonight’s game riding a three-game point streak. He has been hot after a slow start and has been generating a good chunk of the Coyotes’ offense.
Seattle: Jaden Schwartz – Schwartz comes into tonight’s game riding a six-game point streak, which has seen him score three goals and register five assists. He seems to have found his place with Seattle after coming over from the Blues and is on pace for another 20+ goal season.
Injuries
Arizona: Jason Zucker (IR)
Seattle: André Burakovsky (IR), Brandon Tanev (IR)
Puck Drop
Tonight’s game will be at Mullett Arena with a 7:00 p.m. start time and will air on Scripps.