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Arizona Coyotes Critical Road Trip Makes Stops in St. Louis, Minnesota, and Denver

By Scott Thompson

CALGARY, AB - FEBRUARY 18: Conor Garland #83 of the Arizona Coyotes in action against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 18, 2019 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - FEBRUARY 18: Conor Garland #83 of the Arizona Coyotes in action against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 18, 2019 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /
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The Arizona Coyotes embark upon an important six-game road trip that begins with a pair of games in St. Louis on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

By earning only 7 out of a possible 16 points in their first 8 games, the Arizona Coyotes sit in seventh place in the Honda West Division. The St. Louis Blues sit at the top of the table with 13 points after 9 games and have won three-straight on the road.

The challenge ahead for the Coyotes is a significant one, as it will ultimately reveal how close they are to becoming a playoff team. Many hockey fans assume that the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and the St. Louis Blues are locks for the top three playoff positions in the Western Division and that the fourth and final spot will be occupied by either the Minnesota Wild or the Arizona Coyotes. Thus, how the Coyotes fare against the Blues, Wild, and Avalanche in the next week and a half may indicate how the rest of the season will go.

Time will tell where the Desert Dogs ultimately lie at the end of this shortened season, but the Coyotes need to win now. By and large it’s been Goalkeeper Darcy Kuemper that’s kept the Yotes close in the games they’ve played, but he can’t be expected to play at a high level until the end of time without goal-scoring help from his teammates, including his defensemen.

The Coyotes have been trending upward as far as hustle and competitiveness are concerned, and their puck possession in the offensive zone has improved, but they still suffer from a lack of pucks on net and net-front presence when shots are taken. Puck possession will be critical against these upcoming teams and playing physically and ultimately scoring – without committing dumb penalties – are the keys to success.

As the Yotes get deeper into this road trip, they’ll need to play consistently solid defense in front of Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta and be able to transition to offense as a group and score. We’ve witnessed some quality, disciplined hockey at times, but only in spurts. It’s now time for the Coyotes to focus for a full 60 minutes.

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