In this week’s edition of Coyotes Corner, the Arizona Coyotes continue to struggle to snap their losing streak — now at 10 games — with a roster made up mainly of American Hockey League (AHL) players. This past week, the Coyotes welcomed the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, and St. Louis Blues to The Valley, and they all were making their last-ever visit to Gila River Arena.
This past week was no different for the Coyotes, as they were outscored a whopping 54-17. While the team was able to keep this past week’s matchups closer than the week before, it ultimately couldn’t find a way to pick up a win.
Central Division Standings (As of 4/25/2022)
| Team | Record | Points |
| Colorado Avalanche | 55-18-6 | 116 |
| Minnesota Wild | 51-21-7 | 109 |
| St. Louis Blues | 49-20-11 | 109 |
| Nashville Predators | 44-29-6 | 94 |
| Dallas Stars | 44-30-5 | 93 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 36-32-11 | 83 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 26-42-11 | 63 |
| Arizona Coyotes | 22-50-7 | 51 |
The Week That Was
Coyotes vs Carolina Hurricanes (April 18, 5-3 Loss)
The Coyotes’ week kicked off with a matchup against the Hurricanes, who came into Glendale on a two-game losing skid. The two meet earlier this season on Oct. 31 in Raleigh, with the Hurricanes coming out on top 2-1. After falling behind 3-0 midway through the second period, the Coyotes broke the shutout on a goal from Nick Ritchie, with forward Nathan Smith picking up his first career NHL point. Carolina added another before the Coyotes notched two late, but it wasn’t enough, and they fell 5-3. Former Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta made 23 saves in the win, while Karel Vejmelka made 46 saves in the loss.
What Went Right
The Coyotes were able to keep the game close while also generating four power-play opportunities.
What Went Wrong
The Coyotes were heavily outshot, 51-26, while turning over the puck an abysmal 21 times.
Related: Coyotes’ Andrew Ladd Earns Bill Masterton Trophy Nomination
Top Coyotes Performer
Defensemen Kyle Capobianco, who recorded two assists in the late comeback loss.
Key Takeaway
The Coyotes managed to play a full 60-minute game while keeping it close.
Coyotes vs. Chicago Blackhawks (April 20, 4-3 OT Loss)
Wednesday’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks seemed like no difference for Coyotes fans, as the team fell down 2-0 after one period before Barrett Hayton cut the deficit to one in the middle frame. Smith, two nights removed from his first-career NHL point, picked up his first NHL goal to cut the Hawks’ lead back to one in the third, and defensemen Anton Stralman then tied things up with seven minutes left.
The Coyotes’ exciting comeback would only be short-lived, though, as Chicago forward Alex DeBrincat scored the game-winner with under a minute left in overtime. Vejmelka picked up 36 saves in the loss.
What Went Right
Despite the final score, the Coyotes once again kept things interesting, making an exciting come-from-behind effort to pick up at least a point. The team also successfully killed off five Chicago power-play opportunities.
What Went Wrong
The Coyotes struggled in the face off circle, winning only 39 percent of their draws. They also once again struggled to keep ahold of the puck, turning it over 16 times.
Top Coyotes Performers
Smith, who recorded his first career NHL goal, and second career NHL point in the team’s last two games.
Key Takeaway
The Coyotes remain close in games despite a heavily depleted roster.
Coyotes vs. Washington Capitals (April 22, 2-0 Loss)
The Coyotes started the back half of their week with a Friday night matchup against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Goals from Conor Sheary and John Carlson, in addition to 19 saves from Vitek Vanecek, capped off a 2-0 win for Washington, handing the Coyotes their ninth straight loss. Rookie Bokondji “Boko” Imama made his NHL debut for the Coyotes, while Vejmelka made 27 saves in the team’s losing effort.
What Went Right
The Coyotes successfully killed off four Capital power-play opportunities while outhitting them, 32-15.
What Went Wrong
The Coyotes are turning the puck over too frequently while struggling to get shots on net.
Top Coyotes Performers
Vejmelka, who picked up 27 saves despite the shutout loss.
Key Takeaway
After two positive games in which the team kept it close, the Coyotes couldn’t get on the board against Washington.
Coyotes vs. St. Louis Blues (April 23, 5-4 OT Loss)
The Coyotes concluded their week with a matchup against the recently red-hot Blues, the final game between the two clubs this season. After going down 4-1 through two periods, the Coyotes came out with some intensity in the third period, scoring three unanswered goals. Imama picked up his first career NHL goal, which kickstarted the Coyotes comeback. The two needed overtime before Justin Faulk netted the game winning goal, extending the Coyotes’ losing streak to 10 games. Harri Säteri gave Vejmelka the net off, making 28 saves in the comeback loss.
What Went Right
The Coyotes came out of the gates hitting, punishing the Blues 34-17 in the hits category while killing off 3 of 4 St. Louis power play chances.
What Went Wrong
The Coyotes only won 15 out of 45 face off opportunities while also failing to score on either of their power-play chances. They turned the puck over an additional 19 times.
Top Coyotes Performer
Imama, who recorded his first career NHL goal.
Key Takeaway
The Coyotes only have three games left before year one of the team’s rebuild is done.
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, April 26. at Minnesota, 5:00 PM
The team heads on the road for back-to-back road games starting Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are headlined by Kirill Kaprizov’s 103 points this season and a strong goalie tandem of Cam Talbot and Marc-André Fleury. This is the final meeting of the season between the two, with the Wild winning 5-2 in both of the team’s two previous matchups.
Wednesday, April 27 at Dallas, 5:30 PM
The team turns around 24 hours later to take on the Dallas Stars, who are fighting for a wildcard spot. This is the final meeting of the season between the two clubs, with Dallas having won two of the previous three matchups. The Stars are led by forward Jason Robertson’s 38 goals and Joe Pavelski’s 78 points. Former Coyotes goaltender Scott Wedgewood heads into the matchup with a 13-15-5 record, 3.11 goals-against average (GAA), and .910 save percentage (SV%).
Friday, April 29 vs Nashville, 7:30 PM
Arizona concludes its season Friday night in what will be the final-ever game played at Gila River Arena, as the Coyotes head to Tempe for the next three seasons to Arizona State University’s new multi purpose 5,000 seat arena. The Nashville Predators head into the matchup with defensemen Roman Josi, who’s having an outstanding 91-point season. This is the final matchup of the season between the two teams, with Nashville having won both matchups this year. Goaltender Juuse Saros comes into the matchup sporting a 38-25-3 record, 2.63 GAA, and .918 SV%.
Quotables
“That’s two games in a row we battled back. The start was no good, but the way we bounced back. The leadership we had in the room between the first and the second (periods) and the character of our older players showed. It was good for our young guys to be part of it.”
– Coyotes head coach André Tourigny following his team’s comeback despite a 4-3 loss to Chicago.
“There’s a lot to be happy about, but at the same time it’s frustrating a little bit. We lost the game, but there’s a lot to be proud about.”
– Coyotes head coach André Tourigny on takeaways from come-from-behind overtime loss to St. Louis, their 10th straight loss.
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