The Arizona Coyotes’ first half of the season is in the books.
Their 49 points after 48 games are the most since the 2019-20 season, when they had 55 while making a push to the NHL’s First Round following the COVID play-in round. That mark has only been matched by three other Coyotes teams in the last 10 years: 2013-14 (55 points, finished two points out of the Wild Card race), 2015-16 (53 points, finished nine points out of the Wild Card race), and the aforementioned 2019-20 season.
That should give Coyotes fans ample reason to be optimistic about the team’s on-ice performance, especially considering the year-over-year improvement under head coach André Tourigny, who took the helm prior to the 2021-22 season.
Under the tutelage of Tourigny and his staff, Clayton Keller has earned an All-Star nod for three consecutive seasons (and four overall), goalie Connor Ingram has developed into one of the top netminders in the NHL (tied for NHL lead with five shutouts, eighth in wins at 17, 10th in save percentage at .926, and first overall star for week-ending Dec. 3), and the team’s young core continues to progress at an impressive clip, with several stars putting together career-best seasons over the past few years.
Keller is set to participate in the 2024 NHL All-Star game on Saturday, which will be televised on ABC and ESPN+. Stay tuned to arizonacoyotes.com for plenty of coverage from Toronto leading up to the game itself.
On to the show!
The Week in Review
Wednesday, Jan. 24 | at Florida | 6-2 Loss
The Coyotes trailed 6-0 early in the third period, but refused to just roll over, as both Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley found the back of the net in the final frame. Guenther has thrived since making his season debut on Jan. 7, recording three goals and four assists in 11 total games. Cooley, meanwhile, has a point in each of his last four games, notching two goals and two assists over that span.
Thursday, Jan. 25 at Tampa Bay | 6-3 Loss
Keller scored midway through the first period to tie the game 1-1, but the Bolts rolled off four unanswered between the end of the first and midway through the second to take a commanding 5-1 lead. As it did in the previous game, Arizona continued to play hard, with goals from Sean Durzi and Lawson Crouse to ultimately end the game 6-3.
Saturday, Jan. 27 | at Carolina | 3-1 Loss
Cooley scored again to give Arizona a 1-0 lead, but the Hurricanes scored two late goals in the game’s final 30 seconds to break a 1-1 tie and ultimately skate away with the win. The finish spoiled a sparkling performance from Ingram, who made 36 saves, and sent the Coyotes into the All-Star break having dropped three consecutive games.
The Desert Dogs resume play on Thursday, Feb. 8, hosting the Vegas Golden Knights at 7 pm MST. They’ll then hit the road for two games at Nashville and Philadelphia before returning home to host the Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 16 and Feb. 18, respectively.
Down on the Farm
Tucson Roadrunners (25-13-1-1, 2nd Place, Pacific Division)
- 1-1-0-0 Last Week
- Jan. 26 vs. Ontario Reign, 5-1 Loss
- Jan. 27 vs. Ontario Reign, 5-4 Win
The Roadrunners have the highest points percentage in the Pacific Division at .650, which also marks the third-best in the entire league and split their most recent series against Ontario this past weekend. Tucson continues to play elite hockey under coach Steve Potvin and his staff despite losing a number of its top performers to the NHL, including points leader Dylan Guenther and key defenseman Victor Söderström.
Goalie Matthew Villalta has been a huge reason for the team’s success, leading the AHL in wins (20), while posting the 14th-best save percentage (.912) and 18th-best goals-against average (2.61).
