Preview: Coyotes Look to Carry Momentum into Buffalo on Tuesday

Nov. 8, 2022 | 5:00 pm MST | Keybank Center, Buffalo, NY
TV: Bally Sports Arizona | Radio: ESPN 620 AM
The Arizona Coyotes started their road trip on a high note, scoring three unanswered goals in the third period on Saturday
to beat the Washington Capitals
.
Now the goal is to keep that momentum going against the Sabres on Tuesday.
The Coyotes have been playing well as of late, winning two of their last three games while going 3-2-1 over their last six. Clayton Keller has led the way with three goals and eight assists in 11 games played, though Shayne Gostisbehere (10 points) and Nick Ritchie (8) are right behind him.

Ritchie in particular has been impressive since
arriving in Arizona from Toronto via trade
last season, recording 16 goals and six assists in 35 games played in the desert. For the sake of comparison, he had nine points in 33 games with the Maple Leafs.
The 26-year-old's six goals lead the team, and his two-goal performance against the Capitals helped the Coyotes rally for the win.
"Big Ritch has done a good job this year, he's great around the net, he's got that soft touch," forward Liam O'Brien said of his teammate. "Just being able to finish in those areas, I think that's part of our game, and something that we want to be really good at."

Though Arizona's special teams had been the talk of the town recently -- its power play and penalty kill rank fifth and 12th in the league, respectively -- the Coyotes used strong even strength play against the Capitals, scoring all three goals while playing 5-on-5.
That's a trend Arizona coach André Tourigny hopes to see continue tonight against the Sabres.
"We made more plays with the puck," Tourigny said. "We don't want to get loose defensively because we're doing so, but we want to keep improving with the puck, and making plays, making the right plays, and managing the puck at the right time."

Goalie Karel Vejmelka is expected to get the nod tonight, and he has statistically played well against the Sabres, posting a .941 save percentage and 1.98 goals-against average. He made his NHL debut against Buffalo on Oct. 16, 2021, making 32 saves in a shootout loss.
Arizona is also expected to feature 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the fourth straight game.
"I love the resiliency of this group," forward Christian Fischer said. "They work hard, and it doesn't matter if there's 10 minutes left or five minutes left, we've had a lot of games where it's come down to that last minute or two."
Player to Watch: Forward Nick Bjugstad has seen the Sabres quite a bit in his career, logging 27 games against Buffalo. He's recorded nine goals an 11 assists over that span, so keep an eye on the 30-year-old center.
ABOUT THE SABRES
Buffalo started the season strong, but has dropped two straight games after allowing five goals each to both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes. The Sabres are 4-2 at home this season, led by Tage Thompson's 15 points. The 25-year-old Phoenix, Ariz. native has started the season on a tear, including a six-point game (3G, 3A) against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 31.
Victor Olofsson's nine goals and Rasmus Dahlin's eight assists are first on the team.
Between the pipes, goalie Eric Comrie is 4-4-0 with a 3.39 GAA and .894 SV%, while backup Craig Anderson is 3-1-0 with a 2.25 GAA and .927 SV%. Final rosters were not available prior to publication.
A familiar face is expected to be in Buffalo's lineup tonight, however, as former Coyotes defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin will likely play. The 28-year-old blueliner played 180 games with Arizona over four seasons before being traded as part of the aforementioned Ritchie deal last season.
Player to Watch: Though Thompson has proven to be especially dangerous with the puck, watch out for Rasmus Dahlin, who practiced early Tuesday and was expected to return to the lineup after missing Sunday's game with an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old former first-overall pick (2018) has 15 points in 11 games this season, and has been held off the scoresheet just once - a 3-2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 27.