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Keys for the Coyotes to steal a win in Edmonton

By Jim Lynch

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 02: Aaron Ness #42 of the Arizona Coyotes skates up ice against the Colorado Avalanche at Gila River Arena on November 02, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 02: Aaron Ness #42 of the Arizona Coyotes skates up ice against the Colorado Avalanche at Gila River Arena on November 02, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 02: Barrett Hayton #29 and Christian Dvorak #18 of the Arizona Coyotes battle for the puck along the boards with Pierre-Eduard Bellemare #41 of the Colorado Avalanche at Gila River Arena on November 02, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 02: Barrett Hayton #29 and Christian Dvorak #18 of the Arizona Coyotes battle for the puck along the boards with Pierre-Eduard Bellemare #41 of the Colorado Avalanche at Gila River Arena on November 02, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Key 2 Win the defensive battle

The Arizona Coyotes know how good they are defensive. They rank second in the league with only 28 goals given up all season, and that number should continue to be around the lowest in the league.

Arizona has great defensive players on their team, like Oliver Ekman-Larsson and so many others. The team also has one of the top 10 most impressive players in the NHL in net tonight against the Edmonton Oilers.

Darcy Kuemper has been the backbone for the Coyotes all season long. He has the second-best save percentage in the NHL at .942, only Tukka Rask of the Boston Bruins is higher than him. If the Coyotes want to be the offensive-minded Edmonton Oilers, they need to limit the shots on goal of the Oilers.

Rick Tocchet spoke about making a statement tonight and the past few weeks before the game. The Coyotes are a team that plays well defensively and wins the game not by scoring goals, but rather by winning the defensive battle.

Arizona is going to need to limit the play of players like McDavid and Draisaitl if they want to win. You win games with your defense, and let’s hope tonight is an example of that success.

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