Fresh off a 3-2 road win on Tuesday, the Arizona Coyotes look to avenge their season-opening loss on Oct. 14 when the team welcomes the Columbus Blue Jackets to Gila River Arena on Thursday (Nov. 18). It's the Coyotes' first game against the Jackets in the Valley since Nov. 7, 2019 (3-2 L). Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
PACK FACTS
Thursday is the second of two matchups the Coyotes have with the Blue Jackets this season and the only meeting at Gila River Arena. The clubs faced off as each other's season-opening opponent on Oct. 14 (8-2 L). Clayton Keller and Anton Stralman were the goal scorers for Arizona.
Keller has scored a goal in each of his last two games against the Blue Jackets. In Arizona's win on Dec. 3, 2019, he opened the scoring with a power-play marker.
Fellow top-10 pick Barrett Hayton registered his first career multi-goal game Tuesday at St. Louis. The performance included the game-winning goal, which came on the power play. Hayton is one of 10 players (11th instance) age 21 or younger to record a multi-goal game in the NHL this season.
Shayne Gostisbehere assisted on Hayton's game-winning goal, his 170th career helper. Gostisbehere (2-11-13 in 16 GP) became the third defenseman in franchise history with 13-plus points through his first 16 games with the Coyotes/Jets (NHL debut or otherwise). On a season-to-season basis, Gostisbehere is the sixth defenseman (ninth instance) in franchise history to register 11-plus assists within the team's first 16 games of the campaign.
Gostisbehere has eight points (2-6-8) in his last six games and as found the scoresheet in five of those six showings. He enters Thursday tied for fourth in assists among NHL blueliners in 2021-22.
Goaltender Scott Wedgewood has played in four games with the Coyotes this season (two starts) and is 2-1-0 with a .941 SV% and a 1.82 GAA in that stretch. He has not allowed more than two goals in any of his four appearances this season or in his last five outings with the Coyotes in his career.
The Coyotes' franchise is 30-25-4-3 all-time against the Blue Jackets and 16-11-3-1 against them at home.
A LOOK AT THE BLUE JACKETS
Columbus (8-5-0, 16 pts) will play in just its fifth road game of 2021-22 and first since Nov. 3. The team boasts a red-hot Jakub Voracek who enters Thursday on a six-game point streak (1-7-8 in that span). He also leads the club in assists this season (12). Fellow forward Alexandre Texier has recorded a point in each of his last four games, including goals in back-to-back outings. The Blue Jackets are 4-1-0 this season when Texier scores.
MILESTONES TO WATCH
Jakob Chychrun: Three goals from 50 career NHL goals
Phil Kessel: One power-play assists from 200 career NHL power-play assists
Clayton Keller: Two assists from 130 career NHL assists
Clayton Keller: One point from 200 career NHL points
KEY CONNECTIONS
Ex-Coyotes
• Max Domi (2015-18)
Ex-Blue Jackets
• Ryan Dzingel (2018-19)
• Anton Stralman (2009-11)
Loui Eriksson played with Gregory Hofmann for Davos HC of the Swiss-A league during the 2012-13 lockout.
Hudson Fasching represented Team USA with Zach Werenski at the 2015 World Junior Championship.
Shayne Gostisbehere played with Jakub Voracek in Philadelphia from 2014-21.
Phil Housley coached Sean Kuraly at the 2013 World Junior Championship, capturing gold for Team USA.
Ilya Lyubushkin played with Vladislav Gavrikov on the KHL's Yaroslavl Lokomotiv from 2014-17.
