Preview: Coyotes Open Homestand Against Blackhawks on Tuesday

March 5, 2024 | 7 pm MST | Mullett Arena, Tempe, Ariz.
TV: Arizona 61 | Radio: ESPN 620

Fresh off a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday, the Arizona Coyotes are set to open a three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The meeting marks the second of three matchups between the two teams, with the Coyotes winning the first game 8-1 on Oct. 30 at Mullett Arena.

Arizona and Chicago close out their season series on Sunday at United Center.

“With what we’ve been through, it’s important for us to solidify what we’re doing and keep focusing on our game,” head coach André Tourigny said. “We still have a few things on the track we can help a little bit. On our breakout, help a little bit better, and have our defensemen slow down the opponent a little bit, and there are a few things in our neutral zone forecheck we addressed with the team.

“And, we want to be disciplined. We took too many penalties last game, so we need to clean that up.”

Forward Matias Maccelli is in the midst of a six-game point streak, his second such mark of the season. The 23-year-old is just one point shy of 100 in his career, and has 11 goals and 33 assists in 61 games this season.

Tourigny said forward Clayton Keller is improving after missing the past four games with an upper-body injury, but would still be a gametime decision following today’s morning skate. Keller has 52 points on 22 goals and 30 assists this season, and will be skating in his 500th career game if he is in the lineup against Chicago.

Defenseman Michael Kesselring has a goal and an assist over his last four games, notching the eventual game-winning goal against the Capitals on Sunday. He has five goals and nine assists in 44 games this season, including two game-winners.

“My game has translated pretty well; obviously, as time has gone on, you get more comfortable,” Kesselring said. “I think the big thing is just to keep getting better and keep pushing. Sometimes there are nights you feel off, and you still have to find a way to still play solid and play your role.”

Goalie Connor Ingram is expected to make the start tonight, and is 17-15-3 with five shutouts, a 2.82. goals-against average and .909 save percentage this season. He has three career games against the Blackhawks, posting a 1-1-1 record with a 1.97 GAA and .943 SV% against them.

Player to Watch: Dylan Guenther has five points on two goals and three assists over his last two games, recording a power-play goal in each contest. The 20-year-old has never faced Chicago in his career.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS
Chicago has hit a rough stretch lately, as it is in a seven-game winless streak while going 1-12-3 over the last 16 games. The Blackhawks are playing in the second of back-to-backs, having lost 5-0 in Colorado on Monday.

Rookie Connor Bedard leads all Blackhawks with 41 points, averaging 19:19 as an 18-year-old in the league.

“[Bedard] is an elite shooter and an elite playmaker defensively,” Tourigny said. “He finds space, and he creates time and space like no one. He’s really special, and he’s doing a really good job at creating opportunities from nothing.”

Philipp Kurashev (34), Jason Dickinson (28), Nick Foligno (27), and Tyler Johnson (18) round out the top five scorers on the team.

Between the pipes, Petr Mrázek has done the lion’s share of work, posting a 13-23-4 record in 40 starts with a 3.04 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. Backup Arvid Söderblom is 2-18-1 with a 3.97 GAA and .875 SV%.

Mrázek was in net in Colorado, and though lineups weren’t yet available, it’s reasonable to believe Söderblom will get the start on Tuesday. The 24-year-old netminder allowed seven goals against the Coyotes earlier this season, and is searching for his first win since stopping 34 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 24.

The Blackhawks score the fewest goals per game in the league (2.00) while giving up the fourth-most (3.58). Their power play also ranks last with a 12.71 percent conversion rate, while their penalty kill is 24th overall with a 77.22 percent success rate.

Player to Watch: Bedard, who scored the only goal for Chicago against Arizona earlier this season. The 18-year-old phenom leads all rookies with 41 points this season, and is tied with Minnesota’s Marco Rossi with 17 goals.