The Arizona Coyotes are set to return home later this week.
The team’s first game at Mullett Arena following a monster 14-game road trip, though, will be anything but easy, considering a date with the league-leading Boston Bruins is what awaits.
Though 20 of their first 22 games have been on the road, the Coyotes have six more points at this point of the season compared to last year, and now just two more contests separate the team from its return to The Valley.
This past week, forward Christian Fischer scored in two straight games, which improves his total to five this season and already matches his output from last year. The 25-year-old has played 340 career games and notched 92 points over that span, all with the Coyotes.
Both of his tallies last week came on breakaways, one of which was shorthanded.
Matias Maccelli has continued his impressive play as well, as his 14 assists continue to lead all NHL rookies. As of Monday, the 22-year-old trails only Seattle’s Matty Beniers in total points, 21-16.
On to the Show!
The Week in Review
Thursday, Dec. 1 | at Los Angeles 5-3 Loss
STATS | THE WRAP
The Coyotes jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second period over the Kings, but Los Angeles scored four unanswered goals, including an empty netter, to come away with a 5-3 win.
Forward Christian Fischer scored a shorthanded breakaway goal in the first period, and Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad also found the scoreboard in the loss. Rookie Dylan Guenther recorded two assists as well.
Saturday, Dec. 3 | at Vancouver | 3-2 Loss (Overtime)
STATS | THE WRAP
Fischer scored again, and the Coyotes also got a power-play goal from Jakob Chychrun, but Arizona ultimately fell 3-2 in overtime to the Canucks on Saturday. Bo Horvat scored twice, both with the man advantage, including the game winner in the extra frame.
Goalie Karel Vejmelka played well in the loss, stopping 29 of the 32 shots he faced while making critical saves to help keep Arizona in the game.
Down on the Farm
Tucson Roadrunners (10-7-2, 7th place, Pacific Division)
- 0-1-1 last week
- Dec. 3: at San Jose Barracuda, 4-2 Loss
- Dec. 4: at San Jose Barracuda, 4-3 Loss (Overtime)
Team Leaders
- Points: Carcone (24)
- Goals: Dea (11)
- Assists: Carcone (17)
- GAA: Prosvetov (2.94)
- SV%: Prosvetov (.909)
Atlanta Gladiators (10-6-1, 3rd place, South Division)
- 1-2-0 last week
- Nov. 29: vs. Savannah Ghost Pirates, 5-1 Loss
- Dec. 2: at Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 2-1 Loss
- Dec. 3: at Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 3-2 Win
Team Leaders
- Points: Pelech (14)
- Goals: Sylvester (8)
- Assists: Topatigh (12)
- GAA: Parks (2.30)
- SV%: Parks (.933)
The Sweet Spot
Dec. 1: Christian Fischer scores a shorthanded goal against the Los Angeles Kings, the team’s third shorty of the season.
Bear’s Necessities
“Culture, it’s cultivated every day. You can never stop cultivating it, because then you lose your culture. I’ve not a ‘gimme.’ It’s not something that’s just, oh, ok, now they own it, and that’s for life … They have a lot of pride and character. We have guys who have a lot of feeling of belonging in our organization, and they have a lot of pride.” André Tourigny on what the Coyotes are trying to build, and how the team has handled its 14-game road trip.
What to Watch For
Dec. 5 at Calgary Flames, 7 pm MST
Arizona plays its only game at the Saddledome tonight, and the steaky Flames are coming off a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Calgary is 5-4-1 in its last 10 games, but has played strikingly better at home this season, posting a 8-5-1 record in Calgary, as opposed to 3-5-2 on the road.
Elias Lindholm leads the Flames with 18 points and eight goals, while Rasmus Andersson’s 14 are tops on the team.
Between the pipes, Jacob Markstrom has started the majority of games, posting an 8-6-2 record with a 2.97 goals-against average and .889 save percentage in 17 games this season. Backup Dan Vladar is 3-4-1 with a 2.61 GAA and .915 SV%, and was in net for the team’s last two wins.
TV: Bally Sports Arizona Extra | Radio: ESPN 620 AM
Dec. 7 at Edmonton Oilers, 7:30 pm MST
Edmonton is 14-11 this season, currently in fourth place, and while its juggernaut offense ranks ninth in the league with 3.48 goals for per game, but also gives up 3.60 goals per game, which ranks sixth-worst in the league.
The Oilers are led by – who else – Connor McDavid, with 47 points, 21 goals, and 26 assists. His totals in assists and points lead the league.
Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner have each appeared in 13 games this season, posting 7-6-0 and 7-5-0 records, respectively. Skinner’s 2.91 GAA and .914 SV%, though, is considerably lower than Campbell’s marks of 4.12 and .872%.
Edmonton is 4-1 in its last five games.
TV: Bally Sports Arizona Extra | Radio: ESPN 620 AM
Dec. 9 at Boston Bruins, 7:30 pm MST
The Coyotes’ grueling 14-game road trip comes to an end, but the league-leading Boston Bruins await for Arizona’s first home game since Nov. 3.
Boston is 20-3-0, and officially reached 20 wins faster than any other team in NHL history. The Buins’ only losses to this point, however, have come on the road, as the team has posted a perfect 14-0 record at TD Garden as of Monday.
The Bruins boast an extremely balanced scoring attack, with 12 players on the roster that have at least 10 points. David Pastrnak’s 34 points, 16 goals, and 18 assists lead the way, while they also lead the league in goals-for per game (4.00) and goals-against per game (2.13).
Linus Ullmark leads the league with 14 wins, 603 saves, a .936 SV% and 1.93 GAA. Backup Jeremy Swayman’s has posted a 2.61 GAA and .902 SV% in eight games this season.
TV: Bally Sports Arizona Extra | Radio: ESPN 620 AM
Dec. 11 at Philadelphia Flyers, 5 pm MST
The Flyers have struggled as of late, posting a 1-6-3 record over their last 10 games. Forward Kevin Hayes has 25 points and 17 assists on the season, while Travis Konecny’s nine goals are the most on the team.
Carter Hart is 7-7-4 with a 2.82 GAA and .911 SV%, while Felix Sandstrom is 1-5-1 with a 3.40 GAA and .889 SV%.
Philadelphia has home games against Colorado and Washington and a road game against Vegas before playing in Arizona on Sunday.
TV: Bally Sports Arizona | Radio: ESPN 620 AM
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