Game Preview
After winning back-to-back games, the Arizona Coyotes were set to host the New York Rangers on Saturday in a rematch from earlier this season. And while the Coyotes played a good game and kept things relatively tight, they could not counter the Rangers and ultimately fell 8-5 after giving up two empty-net goals.
The Rangers were in control for most of the game, but the Coyotes did not make things easy for them. After being down 2-0 early in the second period, the Coyotes rebounded, and the score was tied 3-3 going into the third period. Unfortunately for the Desert Dogs, the Rangers followed that up with three unanswered goals, including a short-handed goal, and the Yotes couldn’t overcome that deficit.
While the Coyotes have embraced the role of spoilers, and the kids especially aren’t ready to give up on the season just yet, Saturday’s game shows there are limits to what they can accomplish.
Tonight’s opponent is one of the better teams in the Western Conference and the top team in the Pacific Division. The Vancouver Canucks have 100 points in 75 games. They also lost 6-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights last night.
Like the Rangers on Saturday, it isn’t hard to see why the Canucks are where they are in the standings. They are a high-offense team with three 30+ goal scorers who are also getting excellent goaltending from American netminder Thatcher Demko.
Somewhat surprisingly, their special teams are not top-tier. Their power play is 11th in the NHL, which is still very good, if not great, but their penalty kill is ranked 19th, just below the Buffalo Sabres and two spots ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks. It is still better than the Coyotes, but not exactly what you would expect from one of the top teams in the NHL.
Tonight will be the second of three meetings between the Cancucks and the Coyotes, with the two teams facing off again in Vancouver next Wednesday. But with the Canucks having played and traveled last night, now may be the best time for the Coyotes to pull out a win and establish a tone for the next matchup.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Logan Cooley – Cooley had a goal and an assist in his last match and comes into tonight’s game with five points in his previous two games. The Coyotes’ rookie has had problems with consistency in his debut season, but he clearly wants to finish the year on a high note.
Vancouver: Conor Garland – Garland had an assist last night and comes into tonight’s matchup riding a three-game assist streak. With 39 points in 75 games, he has matched any point total he had as a member of the Coyotes.
Injuries
Arizona: Travis Boyd (pectoral), Barrett Hayton (lower body)
Vancouver: Thatcher Demko (knee), Elias Lindholm (undisclosed), Tucker Poolman (undisclosed)
Puck Drop
Tonight’s game will be at Mullett Arena and will start at 7:00 p.m. Arizona time.