Game Preview
The Arizona Coyotes’ road trip continues with a trip to the Northwest. The Coyotes will play a back-to-back, with a match against the Seattle Kraken tonight and a trip to Vancouver tomorrow.
The Coyotes have all of the momentum going into tonight’s game. They followed up a comeback win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday with a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
Saturday’s game featured another strong period for the Yotes. Both teams had lit the lamp twice after the first two periods, but the Yotes responded with three unanswered goals in the final frame.
One reason the Coyotes found success in the third period was that they mostly stayed out of the box. The San Jose Sharks had six power play opportunities in the first two periods but none in the third. Arizona has had issues with penalties all season, and they look like a completely different team when they manage to play disciplined hockey.
The Coyotes and Kraken have already met twice this season, with the Coyotes winning both games. The first game saw the Yotes win 4-3 in the shootout back in November, and more recently, the Coyotes won 2-1 in overtime in late March to start their last homestand.
At this point, it is clear that the Kraken will not be making the post-season. Including tonight’s match, the Kraken have six games left and are 15 points behind the Golden Knights for the final Wild Card spot. They have only six more points than the Coyotes, having played one fewer game.
And while you would think that neither team has any motivation to play well tonight, that isn’t the case. Both teams aren’t going to make the playoffs, but everyone has a reason to give it their all tonight. It will just be a matter of who wants it more.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Clayton Keller – Keller had a goal and an assist against the Sharks and comes into tonight’s match riding an 11-game point streak. He has two goals and an assist against the Kraken this season.
Seattle: Shane Wright – After spending most of the season in the AHL, Wright is in the NHL and playing well. He has three goals and an assist through six games, including a three-point night in the Kraken’s last matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.
Injuries
Arizona: Travis Boyd (pectoral), Barrett Hayton (lower body)
Seattle: Vince Dunn (undisclosed), Adam Larsson (personal), Jared McCann (undisclosed)
Puck Drop
Tonight’s game will be at 7:00 p.m. Arizona time and will air on Scripps.