Preview: Guenther to make season debut as Coyotes Host Jets on Sunday 

Jan. 7, 2024 | 5:00 pm MST | Mullet Arena, Tempe, Ariz.

WHERE TO WATCH:
• Antenna: 61.1 Phoenix, 9.2 Tucson
• Phoenix Cable: Cox 95
• Phoenix Satellite: DirecTV Channel 61, Dish Network Channel 61
• Bullhead City / Lake Havasu: Optimum channel 6
• Flagstaff: American Cable channel 4, Optimum Cable channel 6
• Maricopa: Orbitel channel 11
• Pinal County: Mediacom channel 13
• Prescott: Sparklight channel 61
• Sedona: Optimum Cable channel 6
• Show Low / Winslow Sparklight channel 61
• Tucson: Cox channel 85, Xfinity channel 1179, Orbitel channel 208

WHERE TO LISTEN:
• Radio: KTAR 92.3 FM
• Stream: Arizona Coyotes App, NHL Mobile App

Forward Dylan Guenther is set to make his season debut for the Arizona Coyotes, and it comes against the red-hot, Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets.

Sunday’s meeting marks the third time the two teams will meet this season, and the second-and-final matchup at Mullett Arena. Winnipeg has won both games to this point, 5-3 in Tempe on Nov. 4 and 5-2 in Winnipeg on Nov. 18.

The Coyotes and Jets meet once more this season, on Feb. 25 in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg is tied with both the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins with 54 points on the year, boasting a goal-differential of plus-34 while posting a 9-0-2 record over its last 11 games.

“We haven’t had a lot of success against them this season, but having said that, we know how they play, we know what they do, and it’s an opportunity for us to play a really good, solid game,” head coach André Tourigny said. “If we focus on the score and the result, we will miss an opportunity for us to focus on how we have to play.”

Guenther will make his debut with the Coyotes this season, and the 20-year-old has had a stellar season with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, leading the team with 10 goals and 18 assists in 29 games.

He has helped Tucson to the second-best point total in the Pacific Division (42) just one season removed from notching 15 points in 33 games with the Coyotes as a 19-year-old.

Tourigny said on Saturday that it’s likely to be a short stint as Guenther continues to develop with the Roadrunners, but is excited to see what the young forward can do in his first opportunity with the Coyotes this season.

“I want him to be responsible on both sides of the puck and get on the forecheck, get a good stick and go at the net offensively, but that’s all stuff I know he will do,” Tourigny said. “Dylan is not the kind of [player] where his game is going up and down and you don’t know where to find him on the ice. He’s a positional player. He is a really smart player.”

Guenther said his time in the AHL this season has helped him focus on playing a faster-paced game, and using his comparably-bigger frame to help create scoring opportunities.

Now he’ll get that shot for the first time this season at the NHL level.

“I think there will be some nerves, I’m going to be excited,” Guenther said. “A little bit of adrenaline, too, so I just need to use that to my advantage and go out there and play my best.”

Karel Vejmelka is expected to start in net on Sunday, and the 27-year-old netminder is 6-8-2 with a 3.01 goals-against average and .903 save percentage this season. He has won four of his last five starts, and is 1-5-2 with one shutout, a 2.51 GAA, and .926 SV% against the Jets in his career.

Player to Watch: Forward Nick Schmaltz has historically played well against the Jets, recording five goals and 10 assists in 17 career games against them.

ABOUT THE JETS
The Central Division-leading Jets continue to excel this season, and have not allowed more than three goals in a game since a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 2. They have won five straight, seven of eight, and allow the second-fewest goals per game in the league at 2.39.

All of this despite losing top scorer Kyle Connor to a knee injury three weeks ago.

That hasn’t slowed down the Jets’ offense, though, which is led by Mark Scheifele’s 38 points. Josh Morrissey (30), Nikolaj Ehlers (29), and Cole Perfetti (25) round out the top-four on Winnipeg’s active roster, which averages the 12th-most goals per game at 3.32.

“We want to play a good game on both sides of the puck, and it starts defensively,” Tourigny said. “They’re heavy on the puck, they create possession, and they do a lot of good things, obviously, with the team they have, but I want us to make sure we play the best game we can.”

The Jets rank 22nd on the power play with an 18.26 conversion rate, and 27th with a 74.77 penalty kill percentage.

Connor Hellebuyck, who was recently named to his fourth-career All-Star game, has anchored the Jets between the pipes by posting a 19-6-3 record with one shutout, a 2.28 GAA and .921 SV%. Backup Laurent Brossoit has proven to be equally as capable, recording a 6-3-1 record with a 2.30 GAA and .920 SV%.

Startling lineups were not available prior to posting, but both have earned a win against Arizona this season.

Player to Watch: Scheifele is averaging a point-per-game this season, had three points against the Coyotes last game, and has nine goals and 16 assists in 27 career games against the Desert Dogs.