Arizona Coyotes vs New York Islanders: previews and predictions

Arizona Coyotes vs New York Islanders

I want a show of hands- who thought that the Arizona Coyotes and New York Islanders would be going into their first season matchup just having both defeated the Anaheim Ducks?

I would say that the Coyotes are going into this game riding high, but so are the Isles. I mean, THE DUCKS. AT HONDA CENTER.

This game has always been evenly matched, and that hasn’t changed. Instead, it’s like the intensity has simply been cranked up for both franchises- expect an exciting and dynamic game in Glendale tonight.

Dec 12, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; New York Islanders forward Thomas Vanek (26) falls to the ice after colliding with Phoenix Coyotes forward Antoine Vermette (50) in the third period at Jobing.com Arena. The Coyotes defeated the Islanders 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

Details for tonight’s game:

DATE: Saturday, November 8th
TIME: 5:00pm PST
LOCATION: Glendale, AZ
ARENA: Gila River Arena
TV INFO: MSG, Fox Sports AZ

Keys to Victory

Looking at the breakdown of both teams, the Coyotes and the Islanders are terrifyingly similar going into this game.

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Puck Prose

They both hover around 20% in PPG%, with four wins apiece for their top goalies (Smith for the Coyotes, who is playing tonight, and Chad Johnson for the Islanders, who is not) and similar shots per game (30.5 for the Coyotes, 31.5 for New York).

Where the Coyotes stand tall is on the penalty kill; the Islanders have struggled in that area during the course of the season, while the Coyotes have *for the most part* had a pretty strong penalty killer.

Where do the Islanders have the edge? First period goals against- the Coyotes are absolutely abysmal in this area. Even in two of their past three consecutive wins, they went into the second period down by two goals- shows they know how to make a strong comeback, but COME ON.

I wish Max Domi were on the team, because I’d love to see him and Cal Clutterbuck share the same ice. Domi or no Domi, though, the Islanders are in possession of one of the league’s biggest pests. For a team that prefers to be on the one-man advantage, having Clutterbuck on the other team’s bench is the last thing you want- the Coyotes have to turn the other cheek and be the stronger team here.

If the Coyotes expect to win tonight, they’ll need to duplicate their second period play from the game against the Anaheim Ducks- strong, fast, taking as many scoring opportunities as they can. Mike Smith will need to play like a leader, and the desert dogs will need to stay off the penalty kill.

Prediction:

The Coyotes are on a roll, and they’ve got a 4-2-0 record at home. Come out strong, stay strong, and this game is in the bag.