Game Preview
It is all over today. Not only is the Arizona Coyotes’ 2023-24 season coming to an end tonight in a match against the Edmonton Oilers, but the team’s time in Arizona will also be over.
The Desert Dogs’ have been a significant part of so many people’s lives and have been a roller coaster this season. There have been considerable ups and downs as we saw a squad of veterans help shepherd the growth of younger prospects making their way in the NHL.
If the circumstances were different, there would be plenty to celebrate tonight.
Matias Maccelli largely avoided the sophomore slump and currently comes into tonight’s match with 56 points in 81 games. Logan Cooley hit the 20-goal plateau as a rookie, and while playing with Dylan Guenther, he was everything he was advertised to be. Dylan Guenther has impressed since being called up midway through the season and currently has 17 goals and 16 assists in 44 games. The
And that is just the younger players. Clayton Keller had another great year where he hit the 33-goal mark, despite not finishing at a point-per-game pace again. Nick Schmaltz stayed relatively healthy, missing only three games, and he will finish with his third straight 20+ goal season. Nick Bjugstad and Lawson Crouse stepped up and proved to be leaders both on and off the ice. Along with the surprise, Michael Carcone, the Coyotes six had 20-goal players, showing they may have been one of the best, if not most balanced teams in years.
Unfortunately, after tonight, that will not matter for many fans. Fans who watched this team struggle through rebuild after rebuild caught a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel, only for it all to be dashed away by a decision to relocate the team.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Josh Doan – Doan has goals in his last two games and comes into tonight’s match with nine points in ten games. He registered a goal and an assist against the Oilers this season.
Edmonton: Adam Henrique – Henrique had a goal and two assists in the Oilers’ last game and a goal against the Coyotes last week. He isn’t the biggest name on the team, showing you can’t just shut down the top line and expect to be okay.
Injuries
Arizona: Nick Bjugstad (undisclosed), Travis Boyd (pectoral), Travis Dermott (upper body), Barrett Hayton (lower body)
Edmonton: Evander Kane (undisclosed)
Puck Drop
Tonight’s game will be the final game at the Mullett Arena and will start at 7:00 p.m. Arizona time. If you cannot afford tickets, there will reportedly be areas set up outside the arena to watch.