The NHL All-Star break is over, and the Arizona Coyotes will return to action tomorrow to face the Vegas Golden Knights. The Coyotes have 34 games left in the season and are currently five points out of a playoff spot.
The top three spots in the Central Division seemed locked in, but the Coyotes are still deep in a hunt for a Wild Card spot. But the Coyotes need to tighten up for the final stretch down the season and improve in a few key areas.
Be better in the face-off circle.
The Desert Dogs have been awful in the circle this season. Winning only 45.6% of their draws, the Coyotes are the second-worst faceoff team, ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks.
A big reason for the Coyotes’ dip has been the loss of Barrett Hayton. Hayton took 1,230 draws last season and won 51.1% of them. He led the team in even-strength, power play, offensive zone, and defensive zone draws the previous season, and his loss due to injury can not be understated.
With Hayton out since November 16th, the Coyotes have had a significant hole that they can’t seem to fill. Nick Bjugstad has stepped up, winning 50.0% of his draws, but Alex Kerfoot (46.5%), Jack McBain (44.5%), and Logan Cooley (40.9%) have all struggled in the circle. Forward Travis Boyd was good in the circle, winning 53.5% of his 43 draws, but he has been out for much of the season and seems like he will not be back.
Thankfully, hope looks like it is just around the corner. Barrett Hayton has stopped wearing a non-contact jersey and should be ready for tomorrow’s game.
The Coyotes will hopefully also get reinforcements from Adam Ružička, who was claimed off waivers. Ružička won 48.4% of his 157 draws with the Flames this season and looks to be an upgrade for the bottom six.
Stop. Taking. Dumb. Penalties.
The Coyotes are the third most penalized team in the NHL this season, behind only the Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers. And unlike the Panthers, who draw as many penalties as they take, the Coyotes take more penalties than their opponents.
The Coyotes are ninth in time spent short-handed per game played this season at 5 minutes and 21 seconds. They average being short-handed 3.25 times per game, eighth in the NHL.
Unfortunately for the Coyotes, they are not good on the penalty kill. They have improved from the start of the season, but a 78.9% successful penalty kill is not good enough when taking as many penalties as the Desert Dogs. Only scoring three times short-handed is also not ideal for the Coyotes.
Take advantage of the schedule.
The Coyotes don’t have the easiest schedule to finish the season, but it isn’t the worst. Arizona will face some top teams in the final stretch but will play only three back-to-backs as we approach the end of the season and only one per month.
Arizona will also benefit from a seven-game homestand to end March and start April. The Coyotes are 15-9-0 at home compared to 8-13-3 on the road, so the Desert Dogs should have a chance to rack up a few points going into the regular season’s final weeks. Either way, the Coyotes have no excuse not to give it their all every night for the final 34 matches.
Although far from a lock to make the post-season, the Coyotes have shown improvement compared to last season. Their lack of consistency may ultimately doom them, but for a rebuilding team, it is vital to see the growth we have this season. Either way, there is a lot to look forward to in the final months of this season.