It’s officially our seventh edition of Coyotes Corner, and this week we discuss how the Arizona Coyotes cooled off after a hot stretch of play that included a point in four straight games. This past week the team welcomed the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers for a two-game home stand.
The most pleasant surprises for the team this past week have been goaltender forward Clayton Keller, who’s registered seven points in the teams last five games, forward Travis Boyd, who’s recorded five points in his last five games, and goalie Scott Wedgewood.
Central Division Standings (As of 11/29/2021)
| Team | Record | Points |
| Minnesota Wild | 14-6-1 | 29 |
| St. Louis Blues | 11-7-3 | 25 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 10-7-4 | 24 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 11-6-1 | 23 |
| Nashville Predators | 11-9-1 | 23 |
| Dallas Stars | 10-7-2 | 22 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 7-12-2 | 16 |
| Arizona Coyotes | 4-15-2 | 10 |
The Week That Was
Coyotes vs Oilers (Nov. 24, 5-3 Loss)
After back-to-back wins in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings, the Coyotes welcomed Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to Glendale, seeking to extend their win streak to three games. After going into intermission tied at one apiece after the first, Oilers forwards McDavid and Leon Draisaitl proved to be too much for the Coyotes to handle, netting two goals each to cap off a 5-3 win for Edmonton.
What Went Right
After back-to-back wins, the Coyotes continue to find their team chemistry. In addition, goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who was starting his seventh game of the season with the Coyotes, continues to be the team’s bright spot, having earned three of the team’s four wins so far this season. Clayton Keller has also continued to keep up his hot stretch of play.
What Went Wrong
Penalties once again continue to plague the Coyotes, as the team went on the penalty kill four times in Wednesday’s game, allowing two goals in the process. Arizona continues to struggle in the face-off circle, winning only 41.8% of their draws against the Oilers.
Top Coyotes Performers
Clayton Keller
Key Takeaway
Despite the end of their two game losing streak, the team has recently shown more team chemistry and combativeness at the same time.
Coyotes vs Stars (Nov. 27, 3-2 Loss)
Arizona’s inability to get off to a hot start was once again a problem for the team Saturday night against the Dallas Stars, failing behind just 54 seconds in on Roope Hintz’s seventh goal in eight games. Though the Coyotes got their fair share of scoring chances, Stars goalie Braden Holtby shut the door on the other end, picking up 25 saves in a 3-2 Dallas win.
What Went Right
Coyotes forward Travis Boyd picked up a goal in the loss to extend his point streak to five games this season. In addition, goalie Scott Wedgewood has continued his strong play, giving his team a chance to win, night in and night out. The team also managed to stay out of the box more than once.
What Went Wrong
The Coyotes’ inability to get off to a hot start in games continues to plague the team, in addition to struggles in the face-off circle, going 39.0% in Saturday’s loss.
Top Coyotes Performer
Travis Boyd, who’s recorded three goals and two assists in his last five games.
Key Takeaway
Sloppy play and faceoff struggles continue to doom the Coyotes, and this game was no different. Arizona’s inability to get off to a hot start in games was present once again as the team’s loosing streak climbs to two games.
Looking Ahead
Upcoming Games
Monday, Nov. 29 at Winnipeg, 5:30 pm
After back-to-back losses at home, the Coyotes hit the road to take on the Winnipeg Jets, led by red-hot forward Kyle Connor, who’s recorded 24 points, and goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who’s registered a .917 save percentage along with a 7-5-4 record.
Tuesday, Nov. 30 at Minnesota, 6 pm
The Coyotes turn around 24 hours later to take on the Minnesota Wild in the second game of back-to-back nights, looking to avenge a 5-2 loss back on November 10 at Gila River Arena. The first place Central Division Wild are led by Kirill Kaprizov’s 23 points and Cam Talbot’s 12-5-0 record. This is the second meeting between the two teams.
Friday, Dec. 3 vs Vegas, 7:30 pm
Arizona returns home Friday to welcome the Vegas Golden Knights for the first matchup between the two this season. The Knights, who are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games, will be led into Arizona by goaltender Robin Lehner and forward Chandler Stephenson, whose 20 points lead the team. This is the first of three matchups between the two teams.
Quotables
“I love his feel for the game. I love his feel for offense, he has a natural feel for finding the open guys and making the clever play. He still a young defenseman who needs to keep growing his overall game, but we are excited about the upside.”
– Coyotes coach André Tourigny on his evaluation of Kyle Capobianco after seven games of being in the lineup.
“Yeah they have really good D who can move both ways up the ice. I mean it’s a challenge, but they aren’t overly physical on the other hand so sometimes it’s a good point for us to win battles in the corner and get the puck back in your own zone to try and feed our offence like that.”
– Antoine Roussel on how much of a challenge it was to play against Dallas’ active defensemen in 3-2 loss.
On The Hockey Twittersphere
A look back at the first 21 games’ pleasant & unpleasant surprises, some things that we expected, and some things that have yet to be determined.
Via @PHNX_Coyotes
https://t.co/EPjbqnoMUT
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Mr. Evans is originally from Greenville, SC where he currently resides. Mr. Evans has been involved in hockey for the past 16 years now, following the Arizona Coyotes and St. Louis Blues. During his free time, Mr. Evans enjoys spending time with his family and girlfriend as well as being up in the mountains or taking pictures. Prior to joining The Hockey Writers, Mr. Evans previously worked for The Puck Authority, covering the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. You can find Mr. Evans on Twitter at @HaynesPEvans.