Arizona Coyotes Need Tough Defensive Effort on Eastern Road Trip

The Coyotes will face significant challenges on their current road trip and will need to focus their collective efforts on defense beginning tonight in Florida against the Panthers.

Much of the success for the Arizona Coyotes thus far this season can be attributed to a stingy defense backed up by two first-class goalkeepers. Perhaps the best netminding tandem in the NHL recently, Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta have both been lost to injuries, and Adin Hill is scheduled to start tonight against the Florida Panthers.

The Coyotes’ system and team philosophy has always been about a “defense first” mantra and mentality, and beginning tonight it will need to be at the forefront of the ‘Yotes’ efforts to play effective, disciplined road hockey.

The Coyotes have thus far been able to weather the loss of defender Niklas Hjalmarsson due to injury because of some good, solid defensive play, but primarily because of some really outstanding performances by Kuemper and Raanta. Well, the tables have turned, and it’s time for the defensive corp to return the favor. Adin Hill gets the starting nod this evening and will need the help of the entire team to defend their net tonight and beyond.

Essentially, that means that the Coyotes need to minimize the number of passes and touches of the puck and get the ol’ biscuit out of the “D” zone quickly. Inaccurate passes that go the entire length of the rink are useless and tire the defense out. Worse yet, lost pucks or intercepted passes within their own “D” zone can easily end up in the back of the net.

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Adin Hill’s confidence, an essential ingredient for any goalkeeper in defending the net successfully, can be raised significantly if the Coyotes help him by outnumbering the opposition around the puck and playing aggressive yet controlled defense.

If the Coyotes can continue to skate as five-man units up and down the ice and control the neutral zone, they should be able to help Adin Hill tremendously. Another key factor will be minimizing penalties, as defending on the ice 5 on 5 is difficult enough without playing a man down. The Florida Panthers have plenty of firepower to light the lamp, and Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov already have 57 and 45 points respectively.

The injuries to the Coyotes’ two best goalkeepers poses challenges for the remainder of the team, and it will interesting to see how they react to their new and discomforting reality. Regardless of the short-term outcome, my guess is that the current scenario will make them all better players in the long run. Give ’em hell Adin! Let’s go Coyotes!