Preview: Coyotes Host Panthers on Tuesday for Hockey Fights Cancer Night

Nov. 1, 2022 | 7:00 pm MST | Mullett Arena, Tempe, Ariz.
TV: Bally Sports Arizona Extra | Radio: ESPN 620 AM
Tuesday night will be a special one at Mullett Arena.
The Arizona Coyotes will host the Florida Panthers in their annual Hockey Fights Cancer night, kicking off the NHL's monthlong awareness campaign against the disease.
The Coyotes organization has been heavily impacted by cancer in recent years, losing both Vice President of Hockey Development Matt Shott, as well as nine-year-old Coyotes fan and avid hockey player Leighton Accardo, to the disease.

The team inducted Accardo into
its ring of honor
in April 2021, and recently announced Shott's number would
hang in all hockey rinks
in the state of Arizona.
"Cancer is obviously something that, at some point, it seems like everyone goes through personally, whether it's yourself, someone you know, family member, friend," forward Lawson Crouse said. "To be able to play for it and get more awareness out there, it's a special night for us all."

Head coach André Tourigny said the ability to use the NHL's platform to help elevate the fight against cancer is something that's truly special.
"It's a great movement, it's a great job by the NHL, and a great job by every team," Tourigny said. "Everybody is touched by someone who's had cancer … We have heard positive news that there's always improvement in treatment, but at the same time, when you think of people who get the bad luck of getting struck by cancer, you can never make enough effort to help."
On the ice, Arizona will look to continue its dominant power play, which currently ranks third in the entire league with a 30 percent success rate. The Coyotes have scored nine goals with the man advantage in just eight games, a feat that took 29 games last season.
Crouse notched a power-play goal against the New York Rangers on Sunday, and the 25-year-old now has five points in eight games this season.

"We're clicking," he said. "It seems like both units are chipping in whenever they can. We're getting pucks to the net, I feel like we're doing a good job of getting possession on the power play, and that's huge."
Player to Watch:Forward Nick Ritchie has three goals and two assists in eight games this season, but hasn't found the scoresheet since recording an assist against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 25. He has three goals in 10 games against the Panthers, though, so look for him to be an impact player in tonight's contest.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Florida, which won the Presidents' Trophy last season, is 5-3-1 and third in the Atlantic Division entering Tuesday's game at Mullett Arena. The Panthers are coming off a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, and forward Matthew Tkachuk leads the team in points (13), goals (5) and assists (8).
The team has consistently had a potent offense, and ranked at-or-near the top of the league in nearly every offensive category last season. Tourigny expects nothing less heading into Tuesday's game.
Florida registered a franchise-record 58 shots on goal against the Senators, just one game removed from posting 51 Oct. 27 against Philadephia.
"They are a team with shots in quality and volume," Tourigny said. "They will have a storm at some point. We need to be able to weather the storm we need to be able to play with a lot of urgency in our net front."
Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky has started six games for the Panthers, compiling a 2-3-1 record with a 3.06 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. Spencer Knight is 3-0-0 in his three starts with a 2.67 GAA and .899 SV%.
Rosters were not yet available at the time of posting, but Knight earned the most recent victory on Saturday, and may be due for a second consecutive start.
Player to Watch:Defenseman Brandon Montour is coming off a three-point performance against Ottawa (1G, 2A), and has recorded at least one point in three straight games. The 28-year-old has eight points in seven games this season.