Monday Morning Howl: Coyotes Win Twice, Hanzal & Stone Traded

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Following their disappointing 4-1 home loss on Feb. 18 against the San Jose Sharks, the Arizona Coyotes returned to action against another Pacific Division rival in the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. They exploded for three goals in the first period against Jonathan Bernier and were able to hold on for the 3-2 victory thanks to a huge save from backup goaltender Marek Langhamer in the final seconds after Mike Smith left the game for precautionary reasons after taking a headshot in the crease.

The Coyotes would then head out to Chicago to start a brief two-game road trip against the Blackhawks at the United Center and would allow a hat trick to Patrick Kane as they dropped a 6-3 decision on Thursday night.

Arizona then headed to Dallas on Friday night looking to reverse their fortunes but would fare no better in the Lone Star State as they suffered yet another three-goal defeat, this time by a 5-2 margin.

On Sunday, the Coyotes returned home to Gila River Arena and were able to score three goals in the third period to pick up a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

Coyotes Heading East

Following their victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night in Glendale, the Coyotes will head out for a three-game East Coast road trip starting on Tuesday night in Boston. The Coyotes will be looking to end a lengthy losing streak to the Bruins in this one; they’re 0-8-1 in their last nine contests against Boston and haven’t defeated the B’s since Oct. 9, 2010. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. local time at TD Garden (5:00 P.M. in Arizona).

After wrapping things up in Boston, the Coyotes will make the short flight westward to Buffalo for a Thursday night matchup against the Sabres. The Coyotes will be looking to complete the season sweep on the night after Sunday’s 3-2 comeback victory in Glendale. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. local time in Buffalo (5:00 P.M. in Arizona).

The Coyotes will then wrap up their road trip on Friday night in Raleigh against the Hurricanes. The Coyotes will be looking to reverse their fortunes against Carolina, as they’ve lost the last five matchups in the series dating back to Dec. 14, 2013. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. local time at PNC Arena (5:30 P.M. in Arizona).

After their matchup at PNC Arena, the Hurricanes and Coyotes will head to Glendale for the second half of their home-and-home on Sunday night at Gila River Arena. It’s been quite some time since Arizona’s last home victory over Carolina; since picking up an 8-4 victory over the Hurricanes on Dec. 3, 2005, the Coyotes have dropped five straight home games in the series between the two teams. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 P.M. in Glendale.

Hanzal, White, Stone Traded for Picks

The Mar. 1 trade deadline is still a few days away, but the Coyotes have already been extremely active over the past few days. Last Monday, the Coyotes officially kicked off the league’s trade deadline frenzy as they moved pending free agent defenseman Michael Stone to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a third-round draft pick and a conditional fifth-round pick.

However, the Coyotes weren’t be done there. On Sunday, general manager John Chayka shipped forwards Martin Hanzal and Ryan White off to Minnesota for a first round pick in 2017, a second round pick in 2018, and a conditional pick in 2019.

With these two trades, the Coyotes were able to get multiple draft picks back in return for three pending free-agent players who could amount to rentals for their new teams. Had the Coyotes not moved any of the three, they could all have left over the summer and the team would have received nothing back in return.

With a few days remaining until the Mar. 1 deadline and multiple players reported to still be available, a few more deals could be made in the coming days. Keep an eye on the Coyotes as the trade deadline approaches.

Pacific Division Roundup

Despite taking their bye week, the Sharks managed to hang onto their five-point lead in the Pacific as the Ducks and Oilers both struggled. Here’s how Arizona’s other division rivals fared last week:

Anaheim Ducks (32-21-10, 74 points)

  • Last week: 1-2-0
  • Analysis: Anaheim’s inconsistency continued last week, as they bookended a big 5-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday with losses to two non-playoff teams in Arizona and Los Angeles on Monday and Saturday, respectively. Their bye week couldn’t have come at a better time.
  • Player of the week: Ryan Getzlaf – 2 goals, assist, 9 shots
  • This week: Fri vs TOR, Sun vs VAN

Calgary Flames (33-26-4, 70 points)

  • Last week: 4-0-0
  • Analysis: The red-hot Flames continued their ascent up the Western Conference standings with four huge road victories last week. They’re six points ahead of the Kings for a Wild Card spot and are just four points behind Edmonton for the third playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
  • Player of the week: Johnny Gaudreau – 2 goals, 6 assists, +6
  • This week: Tue vs LA, Fri vs DET, Sun vs NYI

Edmonton Oilers (33-22-8, 74 points)

  • Last week: 1-3-0
  • Analysis: The Oilers lost three out of four last week and will need to get things going again quickly to remain ahead of the surging Calgary Flames in the Pacific.
  • Player of the week: Oscar Klefbom – Goal, 3 assists, +1
  • This week: Tue at STL, Sat vs DET

Los Angeles Kings (30-27-4, 64 points)

  • Last week: 2-1-0
  • Analysis: After losing three straight contests in regulation two weeks ago, the Kings righted the ship a bit last week with victories in two of three games. The return of Jonathan Quick will help tremendously, but the acquisition of Ben Bishop will allow the Kings to ease Quick back into things after a 59-game layoff.
  • Player of the week: Tyler Toffoli – 3 goals
  • This week: Mon at MIN, Tue at CGY, Thu vs TOR, Sat vs VAN

San Jose Sharks (36-18-7, 79 points)

  • Last week: 1-0-0
  • Analysis: The Sharks returned from their bye week on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks and picked up a 4-1 victory in their only game of the week to remain five points ahead in the Pacific.
  • Player of the week: Martin Jones – 1-0-0 record, 35 saves on 36 shots (.972 SV%)
  • This week: Tue vs TOR, Thu vs VAN, Sun at MIN

Vancouver Canucks (26-29-6, 58 points)

  • Last week: 0-1-0
  • Analysis: The Canucks lost their only game of the week on Saturday night in San Jose and will likely be sellers at the trade deadline due to a recent 3-9-0 slide that has dropped them out of playoff contention in the West. The breakout of mumps that has plagued many members of the team has likely had an effect on Vancouver’s recent slide.
  • Players of the week: Daniel Sedin – Goal
  • This week: Tue vs DET, Thu at SJ, Sat at LA, Sun at ANA

The Arizona Coyotes were very active in the trade market last week, but with a few days remaining to make moves, there could be more transactions made in the coming days.