The Arizona Coyotes look to finish their homestand with a .500 record against the Dallas Stars.
Game Preview
The Arizona Coyotes have officially broken in their new arena, beating the Florida Panthers 3-1 this past Tuesday. It was a close game that you wouldn’t expect the Coyotes to win, but good things happen when you score two power play goals.
The Panthers outplayed the Coyotes for most of the game, but thanks to some stellar play from their goaltender and timely goals, they were able to get their first win at Mullett Arena. Per Craig Morgan, André Tourigny will give Connor Ingram the start tonight, and he will need to be ready.
Goals haven’t come easy for the Coyotes this season, especially the third goal. The Coyotes got one from Clayton Keller on Tuesday, but it was an empty-netter with 67 seconds left in regulation.
But a win is a win, and the Coyotes have to feel good about how they are playing lately. They are tighter defensively, their power play is excellent, and their penalty kill has been much better.
Tonight will be a big game for forward Dylan Guenther, who will be suiting up for the ninth time. After tonight, the Coyotes will need to decide if they want to send him back to the Edmonton Oil Kings or burn the first year of his entry-level contract.
Hayton has looked good in his short time in the NHL, and it is a testament to his skill and dedication that it is even a question of whether or not he should stay in the NHL.
Ten games into the season, and the Central Division is in chaos. The Colorado Avalanche are in the middle of the pack, right behind the Chicago Blackhawk, while the top team in the Central is the Dallas Stars.
Dallas claimed the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference last season, so seeing them at the top of the Division is a bit of a surprise. But they have a mix of younger players and veterans and are finding a lot of early success.
The Dallas Stars’ most significant offseason move was sending a conditional first-round pick and conditional fourth-rounder to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Nils Lundkvist. Lundkvist played 25 games with the Rangers last season, and the Stars must have liked what they saw.
In the Coyotes’ previous game, they had a significant edge on special teams, but that isn’t going to be the case tonight. The Stars’ power play is lower in the rankings than the Coyotes, but it’s still top ten, and their penalty kill is fifth in the league compared to the Yotes’ sixth.
Rankings don’t always translate, but the Coyotes should probably avoid taking excess penalties if they can help it.
The Stars come into tonight’s game with some momentum after beating the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 on Tuesday. That game saw the Kings give up three power play goals, seeing Roope Hintz, Jason Roberson, and Joe Pavelski light the lamp with the man advantage.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Clayton Keller – Keller had a goal and an assist against the Panthers, giving him 10 points in 9 games. It’s been a hell of a start for Keller, and he seems to have not lost a step after missing the final stretch of last season.
Dallas: Roope Hintz – Hintz had two goals and an assist in the Stars’ last game and is one of three players on the Stars’ roster with five goals. He is second on the team with 12 points behind Jason Robertson.
Injuries
Arizona: Zack Kassian (questionable, lower body), Conor Timmins (upper body), Nick Schmaltz (upper body), Bryan Little (ear), Andrew Ladd (knee), Jakob Chychrun (wrist)
Dallas: Jake Oettinger (lower body), Nick Caamano (back)
Puck Drop
Tonight’s game will be at Mullett Arena with a start time of 7:00 pm Arizona time. It will air on Bally Sports Arizona and 98.7FM.