Game Preview
After five games at home, the Arizona Coyotes are back on the road. After beating the last five Stanely Cup Champions, the Coyotes dropped their previous game against the Philadephia Flyers 4-1.
Unfortunately, the Coyotes offense dried up against the Flyers. Their lone goal came seconds after their second power play expired, far from the high-offense Coyotes we saw in prior matches.
Thankfully, the loss wasn’t all bad, and there are a few good elements the Coyotes can take from it. It was probably the Coyotes’ most disciplined game of the season, as they managed to stay out of the box all game.
The game also saw the return of defenseman Travis Dermott, who played his first game since November 7th. Dermott played 13 minutes and 33 seconds, and while he was held off the scoresheet, he was a 0 in +/-.
But there is no sense dwelling on the loss, as the Coyotes need to focus on their opponent tonight. The Boston Bruins are the top team in the Atlantic Division, and they are tied with the New York Rangers for the top team in the Eastern Conference.
The Bruins have been a dominant team this season and come into tonight’s game with a 5-4-1 record in their last ten.
Boston’s offense is led by the people you would expect this season. Their top scorer is the 27-year-old David Pastrňák, who has an impressive 36 points in 25 games. Joining him in leading the offense are Brad Marchand (24 points) and Charlie Coyle (20 points).
But despite the Bruins having a few high-offense players, goaltending is the real story. Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have gotten 13 and 12 starts, respectively, and they both have been excellent. Swayman has a 2.08 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage, while Ullmark has a still good 2.69 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.
Behind Swayman and Ullmark, the Bruins have allowed the third-fewest goals in the NHL behind the Kings and the Golden Knights and the best penalty kill.
The Coyotes have beaten teams of the Bruins’ caliber this season, including their recent win over the Vegas Golden Knights. It will be challenging, but they can get two points tonight if they come ready to play.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Lawson Crouse – Crouse scored the Coyotes’ only goal against the Flyers and comes into tonight’s game with 11 goals on the season. He has three points in his last three games.
Boston: Brad Marchand – Marchand had the Bruins’ lone goal in their last matchup and has five goals in his previous three games. That includes a hat-trick on Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Injuries
Arizona: Travis Boyd (upper body), Sean Durzi (questionable, lower body), Barrett Hayton (upper body), Vladislav Kolyachonok (lower body), Jack McBain (lower body)
Boston: Derek Forbort (lower body), Milan Lucic (personal)
Puck Drop
Tonight’s game will be at 11:00 a.m. Arizona time and will air on NESN, NHLN, and Scripps.