Preview: Coyotes Host Blues on Thanksgiving Eve at Mullett Arena

Nov. 22, 2023 | 7:00 pm MST | Mullett Arena, Tempe, Ariz.

WHERE TO WATCH:
• Antenna: 61.1 Phoenix, 9.2 Tucson
• Phoenix Cable: Cox 95
• Phoenix Satellite: DirecTV Channel 61, Dish Network Channel 61
• Bullhead City / Lake Havasu: Optimum channel 6
• Flagstaff: American Cable channel 4, Optimum Cable channel 6
• Maricopa: Orbitel channel 11
• Pinal County: Mediacom channel 13
• Prescott: Sparklight channel 61
• Sedona: Optimum Cable channel 6
• Show Low / Winslow Sparklight channel 61
• Tucson: Cox channel 85, Xfinity channel 1179, Orbitel channel 208
WHERE TO LISTEN:
• Radio: KTAR News 92.3 FM
• Stream: Arizona Coyotes App, NHL Mobile App

The Arizona Coyotes are set to host the St. Louis Blues on Thanksgiving Eve, marking a key divisional early-season matchup.

The two are separated by just one point, with St. Louis (9-7-1) holding down the fourth spot, with Arizona (8-8-2) right behind.

The teams have played twice already this season – both times in St. Louis. The Coyotes won 6-2 on Oct. 19, while the Blues captured the win on Nov. 9, 2-1. Arizona and St. Louis still square off once more this year, on Dec. 2 at Mullett Arena.

Forward Lawson Crouse continues his November scoring tear, as the 26-year-old has scored all eight of his goals this month. He is one of three players with at least eight in November, and that goal total leads the team. Forward Matias Maccelli, meanwhile, ranks third on the team with 13 points, and has notched one in all seven home games this season.

Head coach André Tourigny said he’s making multiple lineup changes prior to tonight’s game – most notably rookie Logan Cooley will shift up to the top line and play with forwards Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. The 19-year-old Cooley has 12 points in 18 games this season, and had primarily played on the third line and power play this season.

“Playing with that line, it demands a lot of focus. Those guys are really demanding,” Tourigny said. “We’ll ask him to go in the dirty areas and he’ll have a big responsibility. I think it’s an unbelievable opportunity for the young guy, but with opportunity comes responsibility, as well, and I’m sure he will do just fine.”

Other notable changes in tonight’s lineup include forward Jan Jeník, who will replace Miloš Kelemen and play with Travis Boyd and Liam O’Brien. Also, Alex Kerfoot will play with Michael Carcone and Jason Zucker.

Arizona’s penalty kill has improved immensely since the start of the season, and currently ranks 17th in the league with a 78.46 percent success rate. The Coyotes have not allowed a power-play goal in three consecutive games, killing off all eight penalties over that span.

“The biggest thing for us has just been limiting extended zone time,” Kerfoot said. “If you get a chance to clear it, you make sure you get it 200 feet.”

Though the Desert Dogs’ power play hasn’t scored a goal in either of their last two games, it still ranks sixth in the league with a 26.87 percent conversion rate.

Goalie Karel Vejmelka is expected to get the nod tonight, and he’s looking for his first win since Oct. 21 against the Anaheim Ducks. He is 2-1-1 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in his career against the Blues.

Player to Watch: Crouse has the hot hand, but keep an eye on Keller, who always plays well against his hometown team. He has 27 points in 26 career games against them, including one goal and two assists this season.

ABOUT THE BLUES
St. Louis is coming off a 3-1 win over the Ducks on Sunday, which was preceded by two 5-1 losses against the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings.

Wednesday’s game marks the fourth-and-final game of the Blues’ current road trip.

St. Louis is led by Robert Thomas’ 17 points, but both he and Pavel Buchnevich are tied for the team lead with six goals apiece. Between the pipes, Joel Hofer has started both games against the Coyotes this season, and he is 4-2-0 with a 2.79 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. Jordan Binnington, meanwhile, is 5-5-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .922 SV%. Starting lineups were not yet available prior to posting.

“They’re a big, heavy team, and they generate a lot off the rush,” defenseman Josh Brown said. “They have some high-end skill, so we need to be ready for that, they come up with a lot of speed. Definitely just trying to be up in their face and take away some time and space.”

The Blues score an average of 2.71 goals each game, which ranks 26th in the league, but they also only allow the same amount (2.71), which is the seventh-fewest in the league. 

Tourigny said St. Louis ranks third in the league off the rush, a challenge that the Coyotes will try to embrace tonight.

“All of their metrics off the rush are really good,” Tourigny said. “They can take the middle at any time, they’re really shifty.”

Their power play has improved slightly since facing the Coyotes earlier this season, but still ranks 31st with a 7.69 percent success rate. Though their penalty kill is 21st overall in the league, coming in at 76.74 percent, the Blues have killed off 91.7 percent of their penalties while on the road this season while scoring three shorthanded goals.

“It will be a good challenge to shut them down,” Tourigny said. “When you play against a team that’s so strong at one part of the game, it’s always a challenge. We’ll have to be good in coverage.”

Player to Watch: Thomas hasn’t recorded a point over his last two games, but he had a combined six points in the three games prior to that. The 24-year-old forward scored against the Coyotes last game, and has four goals and eight assists in 18 career games vs. Arizona.