Yotes Notes: Perfect Homestand & Delivering Holiday Cheer

Just days away from Christmas, the Arizona Coyotes gave their fans one of the best-possible gifts: A perfect homestand.

Tuesday's 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Ottawa Senators helped the Coyotes finish their homestand a perfect 3-0-0, marking three consecutive wins following a four-game losing streak. Arizona is 6-4-0 over its last 10 games, and remains in the playoff picture as the calendar gets set to turn to 2024.

Goalies Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram have both shined in recent days, as the two netminders combined for shutouts on back-to-back nights, marking the first time the team has accomplished that in nearly 27 years. Ingram is tied for the league lead with three shutouts this season, while Vejmelka has won back-to-back games for the first time this year.

Mullett Magic wasn't the only gift the Coyotes presented this week, though, as the team delivered 570 toys and 130 plush Howler dolls to Phoenix Children's to cap off its annual Howlidays of Giving toy drive. Players were also able to conduct in-room visits for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, and the Arizona Coyotes Foundation and the Meruelo family made a $50,000 donation to the hospital.

It was a good week in The Valley, and the Coyotes have spread Christmas cheer both on-and-off the ice.

On to the Show!

The Week in Review

Monday, Dec. 11 | at Buffalo | 5-2 Loss
STATS | THE WRAP

Vejmelka made 33 saves, but five different Sabres scored en route to Buffalo's 5-2 win at Keybank Center last Monday. It took the Sabres just 2:25 to get on the board, and though Michael Kesselring tied it up with his first career NHL goal, Buffalo scored the game's next three goals en route to the 5-2 win.

Michael Carcone scored Arizona's other goal, which marked his team-leading 14th goal of the season.

Tuesday, Dec. 12 | at Pittsburgh | 4-2 Loss
STATS | THE WRAP

Last Tuesday's game in Pittsburgh marked rookie Logan Cooley's return to the Steel City, but the Coyotes were unable to come away with a win in the final game of their three-game road trip. Arizona took a 2-1 lead late in the first period behind goals from Lawson Crouse and Matias Maccelli, but the Penguins rallied with three unanswered goals to ultimately win.

The game may have marked the Coyotes' fourth straight loss following a five-game win streak, but the Desert Dogs bounced back in a big way upon their return to Mullett Arena.

Friday, Dec. 15 | vs. San Jose | 1-0 Win
STATS | THE WRAP

The Coyotes got back on the winning track, topping the San Jose Sharks 1-0 behind Ingram's third shutout of the season. This one was a bit unique, as the Sharks appeared to have tied the game twice in the third period, only to have the goals overturned by two separate coach's challenges: One was deemed to be goalie interference, and the other was ruled offside.

The win electrified Mullett Arena, and set the stage for a successful homestand in the coming days.

Saturday, Dec. 16 | vs. Buffalo | 2-0 Win
STATS | THE WRAP

Arizona avenged the loss to Buffalo earlier in the week, as Vejmelka posted his first shutout of the season with the 2-0 win. Combined with Ingram's shutout on Friday, the victory marked the Coyotes' first shutouts on back-to-back nights since 1997.

Clayton Keller and Liam O'Brien recorded goals, which was the Desert Dogs' second straight, and Vejmelka earned his first win since Oct. 21. The game was scoreless until late in the second period for the second straight game, and just like Saturday, the Coyotes preserved the shutout to ultimately skate away victorious.

Tuesday, Dec. 19 | vs. Ottawa | 4-3 Win
STATS | THE WRAP

The Coyotes saved the best for last on Tuesday, rallying from an early three-goal deficit to beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in the final game of their homestand. Jack McBain, J.J. Moser, Clayton Keller, and Michael Kesselring scored for Arizona, which is off to its best start at home (11-5-0) since the 2009-10 season.

Vejmelka made 16 saves after coming in for relief for Connor Ingram, and the 27-year-old has now extended his shutout streak to 130:35. He has now earned two consecutive wins after shutting on the Sabres on Sunday.

Down on the Farm

Tucson Roadrunners (15-8-1-1, 3rd Place, Pacific Division)
- 1-1-0-0 Last Week
- Dec. 15: vs. Abbotsford Canucks, 5-0 Win
- Dec. 16: vs. Abbotsford Canucks, 6-2 Loss
- Dec. 20: vs. San Jose Barracuda, 8-6 Win

The Roadrunners are 7-2-1-0 in their last 10 games, maintaining their steady play in the AHL's Pacific Division. Five different Tucson players scored in their 5-0 win on Dec. 15, including Doan, who continues to lead the team with 11 goals on the year. Aku Räty, meanwhile, notched a four-point night in Wednesday's 8-6 win over San Jose, recording a hat trick in the process. The Roadrunners have a busy few days coming up, with games against the Bakersfield Condors (Dec. 22) and San Diego Gulls (Dec. 23).

Team Leaders
• Points: Guenther (20)
• Goals: Doan (11)
• Assists: Guenther (14)
• GAA: Villalta (2.60)
• SV%: Villalta (.914)

Lutz is enjoying success in his first season of North American hockey, and he will suit up for Germany in the 2024 World Junior Championship, one of seven Coyotes prospects to represent their home country. The 19-year-old had two assists in his last USHL game before leaving to play with the German team, and had recorded four goals and five assists over his last seven games.

The Sweet Spot

Dec 20: Michael Kesselring scores against the Ottawa Senators, capping a furious comeback in front of a raucous crowd at Mullett Arena.

Bear's Necessities

“We’re confident when we play at home. We’re more confident in ourselves as a team, and rightfully so, but as well, I think we know last year we had a good push at home. This year we didn’t know, but now we’re getting better at home. We’re finding ways to win games.” -- André Tourigny following the Coyotes' most recent 3-0-0 homestand.

What to Watch For

Thursday, Dec. 21 at San Jose Sharks, 8:30 pm MST

The Coyotes and Sharks meet on Thursday in the second of three meetings between the two teams, and the third will occur on April 7 in California. San Jose has dropped three straight, most recently a 4-1 defeat at home against the Los Angeles Kings.

Forward Tomas Hertl leads the team in both goals (11) and points (26), while Mikael Granlund's 18 assists are tops. Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen have split time between the pipes, with the former posting a 4-12-2 record with a 3.75 goals-against average and .897 save percentage, while the latter is 5-8-1 with a 3.61 GAA and .899 SV%. Kahkonen made 23 saves in last Friday's loss.

The Sharks rank last in the league in goals-for per game (2.09) while allowing the most goals per game (3.91), while their power play ranks 17th (21.18) and penalty kill is 30th (72.97).

TV: Scripps Sports ESPN+ / Hulu | Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM

Saturday, Dec. 23 at Colorado Avalanche, 7 pm MST

The Coyotes and Avalanche meet for the second time this season, and face each other in two straight games, both on Saturday and on Dec. 27 after Christmas. Arizona won the first game 4-3 at Mullett Arena on Nov. 30, with Nick Bjugstad registering the overtime winner.

Colorado most recently dropped a 3-2 game in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks, and hosts the Ottawa Senators on Thursday before the Coyotes come to town.

The Central Division rivals will play once more following their Dec. 27 date, on Feb. 18 in Denver.

The Avs' 40 points are tied with the Dallas Stars for the second-most in the division, behind the Winnipeg Jets' 41. The Avalanche boast a high-powered offense, as Nathan MacKinnon's 48 points lead the way, but Mikko Rantanen (40), Cale Makar (37), and Valeri Nichuskin (29) round out the top four.

Makar, however, has missed three straight games with a lower-body injury.

Alexandar Georgiev has done the lion's share of work in net, posting a 15-8-1 record with a 2.97 GAA and .896 SV%, while former Coyotes netminder Ivan Prosvetov is 4-3-1 with a 2.84 GAA and .906 SV%. Georgiev took the loss against Arizona earlier this season.

Colorado averages the fourth-most goals per game in the league, registering 3.56 goals-for, and it allows the 12th-fewest at 3.06, just one spot behind the Coyotes. Its power play falls in the middle of the pack with a 21.67 percent conversion rate, while its penalty kill is sixth with an 83.78 percent success rate.

TV: Scripps Sports (Antenna: 61.1 Phoenix, 9.2 Tucson | Cable: DirecTV 61, Dish 61, Cox 95 Phoenix, Cox 85/Comcast 1179 Tucson) | Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM