Preview: Coyotes Open 7 Game Homestand Against Kraken on Friday

March 22, 2024 | 7 pm MST | Mullett Arena, Tempe, Ariz.
TV: Arizona 61 | Radio: 98.7 FM Arizona Sports

The Arizona Coyotes are set to open a seven-game homestand on Friday, hosting the Seattle Kraken in the second of three meetings between the two teams.
 
The Coyotes won the first matchup 4-3 in a shootout on Nov. 7 behind goals from Matias Maccelli, Barrett Hayton, and Clayton Keller. Nick Bjugstad scored the only goal in the shootout to secure the win, while Connor Ingram made 35 saves to secure the win.

The Coyotes and Kraken close out their season series in Seattle on April 9.

“For us, the focus is to keep working on our game,” head coach André Tourigny said. “We want to get better managing the puck, we want to get better at getting in the net and getting inside. We do a good job right now staying out of the box and being smart with our sticks.” 

Rookie Logan Cooley has 32 points in 69 games, and has recorded two goals over his last three games. The 19-year-old has steadily climbed in his role with the team, and his effort and attention to detail has been rewarded with additional responsibility on the penalty kill.

He has played over one minute of ice time with the PK units in three of the Coyotes’ last five games, scoring a shorthanded goal against the Detroit Red Wings on March 14.

“It’s just a learning process of how to play in this league,” Cooley said. “That’s something I always strive for, is to be a two-way player, not just a one-dimensional player. I’m still learning as much as I can, and there’s still a lot of work to be done to be considered a two-way player in this league.”

Clayton Keller is in the midst of one of his best stretches of the season, recording five goals and two assists over his last five games. The 25-year-old leads the team with 60 points in 65 games this season, having recently celebrated both 500 games and 400 points in the NHL, all of which have come with the Desert Dogs.

Karel Vejmelka is expected to start in net, and he has won three of his last five starts, including a 37-save win over the New Jersey Devils his last time out. The 27-year-old is 1-2-0 with a 4.02 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in his career against the Kraken.

Player to Watch: None other than Keller, who has one goal and five assists in seven career games against Seattle.

ABOUT THE KRAKEN
Seattle is in the midst of an 0-5-1 stretch, and is playing for the second straight night after falling 3-1 in Vegas on Thursday. 

Jared McCann’s 53 points lead the way for Seattle, while Oliver Bjorkstrand (48), Vince Dunn (45), Jordan Eberle (37), and Eeli Tolvanen (34) round out the top five. Between the pipes, Joey Daccord is 17-14-10 with a 2.45 GAA and .919 SV% this season, while Philipp Grubauer is 10-11-2 with a 2.86 GAA and .900 SV%.

“Their game lately, they’re competitive,” Tourigny said. “They have speed up front. They have big defenseman, it’s tough get inside against them.”

Daccord was in net when Arizona and Seattle played earlier this season. Though lineups were not yet available, Grubauer was in net on Thursday in Vegas, so it’s likely Daccord, a former Arizona State Sun Devil, will play on Friday.

The Kraken rank 28th in the league with 2.68 goals-for per game, but their defense has been much more stingy, allowing the eighth-fewest goals per game at 2.82. Their power play is 17th with a 21.31 conversion percentage, while the penalty kill’s 78.80 percent success rate ranks 19th.

Player to Watch: Dunn has two goals and two assists over his last five games, and has 10 points in 23 career games against Arizona, including a goal and two assists over his last three vs. the Desert Dogs.