The Avalanche and Coyotes meet again, this time in Arizona.
Game Preview
The Arizona Coyotes will match up against the Colorado Avalanche for the second time in a row. The two teams met last Friday in Denver, where the Avalanche beat the Coyotes 3-1, and they meet today in a matinee matchup.
Arizona started their last game strong and played a solid first half. The Avalanche had the first goal, but the Coyotes tied things up late in the period, with Clayton Keller getting his 35th goal of the season.
Unfortunately, things started to slow down midway through the second period. At one point, the Coyotes were outshooting the Avalanche but couldn’t capitalize. Then, by the end of the middle frame, the Avalanche were outshooting the Desert Dogs 21-14.
Special teams proved to be the deciding factor in the last match between these two teams. The Avalanche scored two power play goals, starting the scoring with a Nathan MacKinnon goal midway through the first period and getting their third goal from J.T. Compher.
The fact that the Avalanche could score on two of their power play brings up another problem, the Coyotes took too many penalties. The Yotes were short-handed three times throughout the game but only had one power play opportunity.
But Mullett Magic is always possible when the Coyotes are at home, and this afternoon will hopefully be no different. If the Coyotes can get a solid start and ride the crowd’s energy, they may grab the win.
Despite facing a formidable opponent, today is the perfect opportunity for younger players to show what they can do. Nathan Smith played in his first NHL game of the season, while Miloš Kelemen and Michael Kesselring also played. Unfortunately, Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and J.J. Moser were the only players to register points, but you can bet other players are looking to make their mark.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Clayton Keller – Keller set a new career high in goals scored on Friday and comes into this afternoon’s game riding an 11-game point streak. He has nine games left but is on pace to set a new record for the most points scored by a Coyotes player in a single season.
Colorado: Cale Makar – Makar was involved in all three of the Avalanche’s goals on Friday, scoring his own goal and registering two assists. He comes into today’s game with three three-point games in his last five.
Injuries
Arizona: Laurent Dauphin (questionable, undisclosed), Zack Kassian (questionable, upper body), Josh Brown (undisclosed), Jakub Voráček (concussion), Shea Weber (ankle), Bryan Little (ear), Andrew Ladd (knee)
Colorado: Evan Rodrigues (probable, concussion), Artturi Lehkonen (finger), Josh Manson (lower body), Pavel Francouz (lower body), Gabriel Landeskog (knee)
Puck Drop
Today’s game will be at noon Arizona time and will air on the NHL Network, Bally Sports Arizona, and ESPN 620AM.