Arizona Coyotes About to get Medieval on the Golden Knights
The Arizona Coyotes are set to take on the Western Conference leading Golden Knights tonight in Las Vegas. The implications for this game were mentioned yesterday in our post, but when you have the top team facing one of the bottom teams this game comes down to bragging rights for desert dominance.
As a Coyotes fan I take the stance that we were here first, this is our territory. Yes I know, kind of dramatic, but aren’t sports supposed to be that way?
When the puck drops tonight, the Coyotes will have a chance to put the top team in the West in their place. It is no secret that I hate the Vegas Golden Knights, in fact, outside of Nevada, I think that most real hockey fans do as well.
I hate them. I hate them because they are everything that I wish the Coyotes could be, sans their obnoxious fan base and Mark Stone.
Also, they call their arena ‘The Fortress’. Wow.
So lets break down this matchup. Vegas comes into tonight’s game cold, going 2-3 in their last 5 games, most recently losing 3-2 at The Fortress to Buffalo. The Knights are led by Chandler Stephenson, Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault, Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, and Shea Theodore (to name a few). This team is loaded with star players and should enter this game chomping at the bit to get a shot at a Coyotes team that is in a rebuild.
Like a beer league matchup between the top team and the bottom team, the Knights’ players are looking to pad their stats against our beloved Coyotes.
The Coyotes enter this game 7th in the Central Division, and are also 2-3 in their last 5 games. Coming off of a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Coyotes are looking to rebound and get back in the win column. The Coyotes are led by Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Jakob Chychrun, Lawson Crouse, and goalie Karel Vejmelka. The team lacks the overall firepower that Vegas has, but can go toe-to-toe should the game get physical. Something both teams are capable of.
Last game, Coyotes fans got to see glimpses of what could be an electric Coyotes team as Keller, Schmaltz, and CO. moved the puck around like superstars. They were flying. Lets hope we see more of that tonight.
The Coyotes win if…
they stay out of the penalty box. This team is annoying and will no doubt bait the Coyotes into stupid penalties. Don’t take the bait, its a trap! Vegas is good enough to make us pay. No stupid penalties.
Karel Vejmelka is the best player in the NHL, tonight. This is a reoccurring theme but in truth, the Coyotes as a team are only as good as Vejmelka.
Keller, Schmaltz, Matias Maccelli, and Nick Bjugstad get on the scoreboard. I am guessing it is going to take 4 goals to win this game, my gut tells me these guys will be the ones to do it.
we control the puck. We need to win the faceoff circle and slow this team down.
Vegas wins if…
they play their game. They are so good at pretty much everything, and they have the star power to back it up.
Mark Stone and Jack Eichel light it up. This has the makings of an Eichel/Stone highlight reel game.
Chandler Stephenson plays like an in-his-prime version of Ryan Kesler. He reminds me of Kesler. Equally annoying and dirty, and can score.
This game is always fun to watch as these are the NHL’s desert darlings. Crossing my fingers that we give this team hell tonight. The puck drops at 8:00 MT and can be seen on Bally Sports Arizona.
Happy Howlin’!