Conor Garland has been good for the Arizona Coyotes. So good some are even saying he has been the most surprising player on the team this season. How is managing to put all these pucks in the net?
Garland has 6 goals so far this season, the most of anyone on the team. Garland has scored goals against the Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, and Buffalo Sabres. Garland just keeps finding a way to put the puck in the net.
It would not be so remarkable how much Garland is scoring if it was not for his past or lack of a past that is. Garland is just 23 years old and has not yet played in more than 60 games in his NHL career.
This is Garland’s second season in the NHL. He has only put the puck in the net 19 times over the course of 58 games. The former 5th round pick is working hard and has throughout his time in Arizona.
| Scoring | Goals | Assists | Shots | Ice Time | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | EV | PP | SH | GW | EV | PP | SH | S | S% | TSA | TOI | ATOI | FOW | FOL | FO% | BLK | HIT | TK | GV | Awards |
| 2018-19 | 22 | ARI | NHL | 47 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 118 | 11.0 | 179 | 601 | 12:47 | 10 | 8 | 55.6 | 17 | 33 | 25 | 10 | |
| 2019-20 | 23 | ARI | NHL | 11 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 27.3 | 38 | 140 | 12:43 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | ||
| Career | 2 yrs | NHL | 58 | 19 | 7 | 26 | 7 | 18 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 140 | 13.6 | 217 | 741 | 12:47 | 10 | 8 | 55.6 | 22 | 35 | 32 | 14 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/30/2019.
Garland has benefited from playing alongside a player like Nick Schmaltz and Christian Dvorak. Another player that seems to be playing well with Garland is Carl Soderberg. Soderberg assisted on Garland’s first goal of the season, and Garland has returned the favor to Soderberg.
Carl Soderberg has just 2 goals this season, the primary assister on both of those goals was Garland. Conor Garland is definitely stepping into his own in the NHL.
Conor Garland just keeps finding ways to score. pic.twitter.com/Gz0UlQr1EU
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) October 28, 2019
Just watch as Garland took a shot from an odd angle the other night in Buffalo to help get the Coyotes back into the game against the Sabres. The Coyotes just will not quit this season, and it is in large part thanks to Garland.
It is great to see Garland score goals from all sorts of angles and finally benefit from just putting the puck on net. He surely will be awarded this offseason with a new contract. His hockey IQ seems to be through the rough for the Coyotes.
Your leading goal scorer, Conor Garland. pic.twitter.com/9eGg8de7fo
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) October 20, 2019
Garland refuses to give up on plays and has dished the puck wonderfully this season. I think Garland can continue to light the lamp up this season, and so does ESPN.
According to ESPN, Garland is projected to put the puck in the back of the net 45 times this season and put up 60 points. Now, will that happen? Probably not, but even still it is a pretty incredible number from the young forward.
Let’s see just how many goals Garland scores this season. Do you think he can lead the team in goals?