The Arizona Coyotes arguably didn’t deserve to be in their game against the Seattle Kraken but they won it anyway. While the hometown team was outshot 38-27, multiple factors coming up strong put the crowd in a good mood. Here are some takeaways from last night’s 4-3 shootout win.
Barrett Hayton Might Be Back
After Travis Dermott got an assist on the Coyotes’ first goal of the game, Barrett Hayton became the only player on the team to not record a point this season. That quickly changed on the power play when the top-line unit once again worked their magic. Nick Schmaltz fed a nice pass to Clayton Keller who ripped it home. It looked like he would be getting the goal but Hayton who was in front of the net got his stick on it.
The 23-year-old forward has had a disappointing season so far, especially after a career year last season with 43 points. However, he’s remained positive throughout the lows and was excited (his teammates may have been more excited) when he finally got the weight off his back.
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“It felt great,” Hayton said. “It’s a lot of weight off your shoulder. Obviously, it was nice to see the boys happy for me and all that they obviously knew how much I wanted it. I definitely feel good.”
If we know anything about Hayton, we know that when he gets hot, he gets hot continuously. Towards the end of last season, Hayton went on a nine-game point streak where he scored 14 points. We’ll see if he can maintain his scoring ways on the upcoming road trip.
Nick Bjugstad Is “Money” In the Shootout
There’s no other way to say that Nick Bjugstad is electric in the shootout. He scored the game-winner in the second round where he sniped the puck just right beneath the crossbar.
The veteran forward is no stranger to shootouts. He was one of the players who scored in the shootout win to begin the season against the New Jersey Devils but he was also involved in the longest shootout ever back at the beginning of his career as a member of the Florida Panthers. He scored the game-winning goal against the Washington Capitals to win that game in the 20th round.
“We had a lot of overtime and shootout games when I was a young player in Florida,” Bjugstad said. “So I had a lot of reps. I think that helps. Helps with the nerves. I also talk with our goaltending coach on how the goalies are set and what their style is and that usually determines what’s going on.”
Bjugstad now has eight points in 12 games and has really made a home in Arizona. After playing for five teams in seven seasons, he’s become a core piece for this young Coyotes team. He’ll definitely be relied on during the upcoming road trip as the team looks to continue their decent start to the season.
The Coyotes Still Haven’t Been Great Defensively
It seems the Coyotes in every game have been relying too much on their goaltenders. In their past few games, the team hasn’t been able to outshoot their opponents by more than six shots. This game was no different with the Kraken outshooting them 38-27.
It felt like the Coyotes spent more time in their zone than their opponent’s. Connor Ingram had one bad goal against him but stood strong the rest of the game including shutting down Matty Beniers on a breakaway opportunity towards the end of the game. Head coach Andre Tourigny was really proud of his goaltender last night.
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“He was huge,” Tourigny said. “It was a tough game because they threw a lot of pucks at the net and were scrappy around the net and that is never easy for a goalie. Iggy is really good at reading the play but you cannot read broken plays so credit to him.”
Ingram now has four wins to start the season and has a .919 save percentage. He’s proven that his team can rely on him in net. He’s been one of Bill Armstrong’s greatest additions and has been an important part of this team.
However, the Coyotes shouldn’t need him to bail them out every game which is what’s been happening in most games. The Dermott-Matt Dumba pairing finished with a minus-1 in the plus/minus category. Alex Kerfoot didn’t look the best defensively and there were numerous turnovers throughout the game. If the Coyotes keep relying on their goaltenders to make every save possible, they might be in trouble with tougher opponents.
The Coyotes are now 6-4-1, one of the best beginnings to a season they’ve had in a while. They will now embark on a five-game road trip mainly against Central Division rivals starting with the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 9.