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Nov. 30, 2023 | 7:00 pm MST | Mullett Arena, Tempe, Ariz.

WHERE TO WATCH:
• Antenna: 61.1 Phoenix, 9.2 Tucson
• Phoenix Cable: Cox 95
• Phoenix Satellite: DirecTV Channel 61, Dish Network Channel 61
• Bullhead City / Lake Havasu: Optimum channel 6
• Flagstaff: American Cable channel 4, Optimum Cable channel 6
• Maricopa: Orbitel channel 11
• Pinal County: Mediacom channel 13
• Prescott: Sparklight channel 61
• Sedona: Optimum Cable channel 6
• Show Low / Winslow Sparklight channel 61
• Tucson: Cox channel 85, Xfinity channel 1179, Orbitel channel 208
WHERE TO LISTEN:
• Radio: ESPN 620
• Stream: Arizona Coyotes App, NHL Mobile App

Fresh off a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, the Arizona Coyotes are set to host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday in the first of four meetings between the Central Division rivals.

Thursday also marks the Coyotes’ annual Hockey Fights Cancer night, and the Arizona Coyotes Foundation will auction off autographed specialty player jerseys. The auction will open shortly before the game begins and will close midway through the third period of the game. Those interested in placing bids can do so at arizonacoyotes.com/auction.

“I think we all know people who we are close with, and love, I have a lot of thoughts with people close to me who are affected by this disease,” head coach André Tourigny said. “It means more than any other game to me.”

Forward Lawson Crouse is one goal shy of tying the Coyotes’ record for most goals in November, as he has scored all of his team-leading 10 goals this month. The 26-year-old has three goals over his last five games, and has four goals and seven assists in 24 career games against the Avs.

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      STL@ARI: Crouse scores goal against Jordan Binnington

      “The guys have a different level of urgency and a different understanding of what they have to stay away from,” Tourigny said. “I feel way more comfortable right now knowing our players understand that part.”

      The Coyotes will also welcome defenseman Juuso Välimäki back to the lineup, who hasn’t played since suffering an upper-body injury Nov. 14 against the Dallas Stars. Forward Miloš Kelemen will be scratched from the lineup, meaning 11 forwards and seven defensemen will suit up for the Desert Dogs.

      Arizona’s penalty kill has also been impressive lately, moving up from 25th on Nov. 8 to its current position of 13th with a success rate of 81.33 percent. The Coyotes have killed off 18 straight power plays over a span of six games, and that number increases to 20 straight kills counting the game against the Dallas Stars on Nov. 14, in which they allowed a power-play goal.

      The last time Arizona went six consecutive games without allowing a power-play goal was in 2019-20, when it killed 18 straight penalties over seven games.

      Goalie Connor Ingram is expected to make his third consecutive start after allowing just one goal on 65 combined shots over his last two games. He’s 8-3-0 on the season with a 2.49 goals-against average and .924 save percentage, and is 1-0-2 in his career against Colorado.

      “You’re not going to go through a game and be perfect, you know you’re going to give up a chance, but you know if you’ve got a goalie who’s playing well, seeing the puck really well, you know you’ve got a good chance that he’s going to come up with a big save back there right now,” forward Travis Boyd said. “Him coming up with a couple huge saves a night really can be the difference in any game.”

      Player to Watch: Alex Kerfoot has been huge on the penalty kill for the Coyotes this season, but has also had success against the Avalanche, recording seven points in six games against his former team.

      ABOUT COLORADO  
      The first-place Avalanche are on a roll, having won four straight and seven of their last eight games. Arizona was 1-1-2 against the Avs last season, with the lone win coming on Dec. 27, 2022 at Mullett Arena.

      Colorado boasts the league’s third-best offense, and has four players with at least 20 points: Cale Makar (32), Nathan MacKinnon (28), Mikko Rantanen (27), and Valeri Nichuskin (20). Makar’s 26 assists lead the league, while Rantanen’s 12 goals lead the team.

      “You can’t neutralize an offense like that. You can contain them as much as you can, but at some point they will get their opportunities,” Tourigny said. “They have a lot of speed, strength, strong on the puck, they play with tremendous pace, and they make a lot of plays through the middle. It will be a good test.” 

      Between the pipes, Alexandar Georgiev has done the lion’s share of work this season, posting a 13-5-0 record with a 2.84 goals-against average and .898 save percentage. Former Coyotes prospect Ivan Prosvetov has appeared in five games after he was claimed off waivers in October, posting a 2-1-0 record with a 2.35 GAA and .919 SV%.

      Georgiev has started in eight of Colorado’s last nine games, and is 3-1-1 against the Coyotes in his career.

      The Avalanche have the fourth best penalty kill (87.95), and third-best offense in the league, averaging 3.76 goals per game. They’re a top-10 team when it comes to goals against, as well, allowing an average of 2.81 goals per game.

      Player to Watch: Mackinnon has been on an absolute roll, recording eight points over his last five games. The 28-year-old has 10 goals and 25 assists in 32 career games against the Coyotes.

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