Kuemper Playing Key Role For Coyotes During Playoff Push

GLENDALE -- Goalie Darcy Kuemper has played a key role for the Coyotes as they've made a push to the playoffs the past few months.

Case in point: Needing to rebound from a head-scratching 7-1 loss at Chicago on Monday, Kuemper returned to Arizona's net on Tuesday at St. Louis and stopped 39 of 40 shots to help secure a 3-1 win.
"He was incredible and he made it look easy, too, which is the most incredible part about it," Coyotes General Manager John Chayka told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the team's flagship radio station, on Wednesday morning. "When he's locked in and he's on his game, he doesn't move much and the net's filled and he doesn't leave many rebounds out there. He was the difference last night."

Kuemper has started 33 games since taking over the No. 1 job from injured Antti Raanta, who last played on Nov. 27. Kuemper is 19-11-3 in those 33 starts, and he's earned 10 of those 19 wins in the past month to help the Coyotes climb the standings. As of today, Arizona owns the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference with a dozen games left.
"We've got to keep working," Kuemper said after Tuesday's win. "We've got 12 games left. It's going to be a tight race right to the last one so we've got to regroup."
Arizona hosts Anaheim on Thursday.
Kuemper allowed four goals on 16 shots vs. Chicago on Monday, and Head Coach Rick Tocchet decided to pull him from the net at the 26:26 mark. After the game, Tocchet chatted with Kuemper and quickly decided to get him back on the ice at St. Louis the next night.
"I talked to him after the game," Tocchet said. "You could just tell he was focused. There was no way I couldn't put him back in the net."
Kuemper, who leads the NHL in wins since Feb. 9 with 12, responded with an outstanding performance that came up just 71 seconds shy of a shutout.

"They tried to come out and intimidate us and we didn't back down at all," Kuemper said of the Blues. "We pushed right back. That's what we're going to have to do the rest of the way. It was huge to see that character out of us."
Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson credited Kuemper for again making clutch saves, and said he more than deserved the Game MVP Belt, which he received in a post-game locker-room ceremony.

"I think we didn't really play very good, but it was just hard work and Kuemper stood on his head again and gave us a chance to win," Ekman-Larsson said.
Should the Coyotes qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kuemper won't be awestruck. He's appeared in nine NHL playoff games, all with Minnesota, and owns a 3-1-0 record a 2.13 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.

The key for Kuemper down the stretch will be managing his workload, physically and mentally, and continuing to limit rebounds; opponents have been getting few second and third chances to score in front of Arizona's net.
"He gives our whole team confidence and that's a huge boost when you get goaltending like that," Chayka said.