The Coyotes host Dallas for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Game Preview
After getting a three-day break, the Arizona Coyotes are back in action against the red-hot Dallas Stars tonight.
The Stars, who started off the season very mediocre, have since gone on a three-game winning streak and are 6-3-1 through their last ten games played.
Their play specifically picked up with the addition of Jake Oettinger, who is 4-0-0 with a .959 save percentage. He’s been elite and is making a solid case to be the team’s new starting goaltender; however, it’s doubtful the Coyotes see him in net tonight, as he played yesterday.
The goaltender the Stars will see is likely to be Anton Khudobin, who has struggled heavily with a 3-3-1 record to go with an abysmal .873 save percentage. The Ust-Kamenogorsk native was once among the top goaltenders in the league, carrying Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final. However, he’s fallen off since then and is low on confidence, and the Coyotes will look to take advantage of that.
None of the Stars’ team statistics stick out too much except for their powerplay percentage, where they rank third in the entire NHL at 28%. Not ideal, considering the Coyotes’ penalty-killing unit ranks 30th with a 67.7%.
The Stars’ leading scorer, like the Coyotes’, comes from a defenseman. Miro Heiskanen has three goals and 14 points through 17 games played while averaging 24:37 per game. He’s a workhorse on the blue line and one of the league’s most underrated players, so be on the lookout for him and expect some big moments.
The Stars’ leading goal scorer is Roope Hintz, who has six through 18 games played. After an 11-game slump with zero goals and just two assists, he has since posted six goals through his last seven games played and has been a big factor in what’s gone right in Dallas lately.
Throughout recent history, the Coyotes have struggled to play against the Stars. Through their last ten games played, they are 1-9, with their previous win coming on February 9th, 2019, over a year before the Coronavirus pandemic. Yeah, a long time ago.
The Coyotes will hope to get back on the right track after having their four-game point streak snapped by the Oilers.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Travis Boyd – Boyd has been such a fun player to watch if you’re a Coyotes fan. He has two goals, three points through his last two games, and seven points through 13 games played this season. He’s a workhorse, hustles hard on every shift, and has been a great leader. This seems like one of those games where a player like him could be the difference-maker.
Dallas: Joe Pavelski – Pavelski is coming off of a two-goal outing against Colorado. On the season, he has 12 points through 18 games played. Over the course of his career, he has tormented the Coyotes, with 31 goals and 55 points through 70 games played, and he will be looking to do so again tonight.
Injuries
Arizona: Jay Beagle (DAY-TO-DAY – Lower-Body), Carter Hutton (IR – Lower-Body), Christian Fischer (IR – Upper-Body), Nick Schmaltz (IR – Upper-Body), Conor Timmins (IR – Knee), Dmitrij Jaškin (IR – Knee)
Dallas: Ben Bishop (LTIR – Knee)
Puck Drop
The game will be at Gila River Arena at 6 PM on BSAZ+ and BSSW+.