Adam’s Three Keys to the Game: Edmonton Oilers at Arizona Coyotes

The Edmonton Oilers roll in to Glendale, Arizona tonight to do battle against the Arizona Coyotes in what should be a thrilling match-up. This will be the third regular season game for the Coyotes and the fourth for the Oilers. The Coyotes swept the Oilers last season by winning all four games with three of those being by a one goal deficit. The Arizona Coyotes are currently 1-1-0 while the Edmonton Oilers are 0-2-1.

Here are your three keys to the game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Arizona Coyotes:

1) Possession:

It’s no secret that the Oilers have speed with all of the young guys on their squad. Players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, and Nail Yakupov can easily fly down the ice and burn defenders. One of the biggest keys to this game is puck possession in the offensive zone. Tape-to-tape passes and a solid handle of the puck can lead to a higher time on attack which will essentially result in better scoring chances. Edmonton will have a solid neutral zone forecheck and continuous pressure but if the Coyotes can dump pucks deep and win the board battles, there is no excuse to not come out on top. The goaltending pair of Viktor Fasth and Ben Scrivens is not the best in the league, so a continual presence in their zone should result in a high goal total for the Arizona Coyotes.

2) Let Smith Regain His Confidence:

It was announced yesterday that Mike Smith will be back between the pipes for tonight’s game. This will be his chance to redeem himself after his horrible loss against Winnipeg last Thursday night. Mike Smith is a great goaltender and it is his time to prove to the fans that his contract is money spent wisely. Mike has had almost a week’s rest to prepare for this game so expect a lights out performance filled with acrobatic saves and intelligent puck play. We will see a different Mike Smith tonight.

3) Give Gagner a Bigger Role:

This will be the first time that Sam Gagner will face his old team after being acquired by the Coyotes organization this summer. I would like to see the Coyotes utilize Gagner’s knowledge of the Oilers and have him play a bigger role in this game against his former team. Sam Gagner knows how Edmonton’s offense works after being one of their key components in prior years. Do not be surprised if Coach Tippett puts Gagner on the top line for this game.