After taking the Los Angeles Kings to the shootout the Arizona Coyotes are back home to host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Game Preview
Say what you want about the Arizona Coyotes this season, but they do not go down without a fight. We have seen it repeatedly this season, and we saw it again last night.
The Coyotes may have lost to the Los Angeles Kings last night in the shootout, but it took another comeback to get there. The Desert Dogs had another slow start and were down 5-1 just under 16 minutes into the first game.
But the Coyotes’ resilience is one of their most enduring traits this season. Clayton Keller got the Yotes started with a late power play goal in the second period, and goals from Keller, Travis Boyd, and Chrisitan Fischer all scored to tie it up and force a shootout.
Karel Vejmelka had the start last night but was pulled after the fifth goal, and Connor Ingram finished the matchup. The plan was likely to start Ingram tonight, but last night may change that plan.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are another team in the Great Tank Battle of 2023. They are currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just 40 points in 56 games. They are just one point ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks and tied for second from the bottom.
But that’s not to say that tonight will be an easy matchup for the Coyotes. The Blue Jackets may be bad, but they also come into tonight’s game riding a two-game win streak with wins over the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets.
The Blue Jackets not only beat the top two teams in the Central Division, but they also held them both to just one goal. They beat the Stars 4-1 yesterday and the Jets 3-1 this past Thursday.
When two bad teams meet, the results are always unpredictable. On paper, both teams are bad, but the Coyotes have a slight edge. The Coyotes score more, give up fewer goals, and have a better power play. Columbus has a slightly better penalty kill than the Coyotes, but that is about it when it comes to advantages.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Clayton Keller – Keller had two goals last night, his 22nd and 23rd of the season. He is currently on pace to set new career highs in goals and points.
Columbus: Mathieu Olivier – Olivier had a goal and two assists last night in what has been his best NHL season. The 26-year-old winger currently has four goals and eight assists in 51 games.
Injuries
Arizona: Shayne Gostisbehere (questionable, upper body), Andrew Ladd (knee), Bryan Little (ear)
Columbus: Johnny Gaudreau (questionable, upper body), Yegor Chinakhov (ankle), Jake Bean (shoulder), Gustav Nyquist (upper body), Carson Meyer (oblique), Jakob Voráček (concussion), Zach Werenski (shoulder), Justin Danforth (shoulder)
Puck Drop
Tonight’s game will be at 6:30 pm Arizona time and will air on the NHL Network, Bally Sports Arizona, and 98.7 FM.