Game Preview
The future of the Arizona Coyotes may be bleak, but that isn’t stopping the players from giving their all. The Desert Dogs are 3-1-0 on their current road trip after back-to-back overtime wins against the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.
Neither game was perfect, but they were solid wins against two of the top teams in the Western Conference.
In both matchups, the Coyotes did a good job at scoring first, only to see their opponents come back and tie the game. But that is somewhat expected when you look at the Yotes’ opponents and the offensive weapons that they have.
After facing off against the top two teams in the Pacific Division, the Coyotes will be playing a team that is more on their level.
The Flames have just two points more than the Coyotes do this season. But while the Coyotes have been relatively hot as the season ends, the Flames have struggled.
The Calgary Flames have won twice this month, a 3-2 overtime win over the San Jose Sharks and a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks last Friday. Neither team is especially good, and those are two of the Flames’ three wins in their past ten games.
For a game plan, the Coyotes must do their best to continue what they have been doing. They have largely avoided the off-ice distractions and focused on winning, and if they continue that, they should have a decent shot tonight. The Flames don’t have much left to play for, while everyone on the Coyotes’ roster has something to prove in their final two matches.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Josh Doan – Doan had a goal and an assist against the Edmonton Oilers, being involved in the Yotes’ first and last goals of the game. He has looked great since his call-up and has eight points in nine games.
Calgary: Andrei Kuzmenko – Kuzmenko has played well with the Flames and is coming off scoring a hat trick against the Ducks. He has 21 goals in 69 games this season but was held off the scoresheet when he faced off against the Coyotes as a member of the Canucks.
Injuries
Arizona: Nick Bjugstad (undisclosed), Travis Boyd (pectoral), Travis Dermott (upper body), Barrett Hayton (lower body)
Calgary: Blake Coleman (upper body), Joel Hanley (undisclosed), Dan Vladar (hip)
Puck Drop
Tonight’s game will be in Calgary and will start at 5:00 p.m. Arizona time.