Preview: Coyotes Open 5-Game Homestand Against Panthers on Tuesday

Jan. 2, 2024 | 8:00 pm MST | Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.

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: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM
• Stream: Arizona Coyotes App, NHL Mobile App

The Arizona Coyotes are kicking off 2024 with a five-game homestand, beginning with their first matchup of the season against the Florida Panthers.

The Coyotes and Panthers meet once more this season, on Jan. 24 in Sunrise.

“We know they’re a good team, they went to the Cup Final last year and still have most of those parts,” forward Michael Carcone said. “We know we’re in for one tonight, they work really hard, so we have to be at our best.”

Defenseman Sean Durzi has recorded five points over his last two home games, including a four-point performance in Arizona’s 5-4 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 27. The 25-year-old his six goals and 14 assists in 29 games this season, putting him well on pace to top his career high mark of 38 points, set last season.

Another blue-liner, J.J. Moser, will return to the lineup, marking his first appearance since Dec. 23 against Colorado. He will replace Travis Dermott, who coach André Tourigny said is “fit to play,” but a little banged up after blocking a number of shots over the past few games.

“Every night it’s a really tough decision to figure out who isn’t playing,” Tourigny said. “We have eight defensemen who are playing extremely well for long stretches.”

Forward Lawson Crouse is one two-game goal streak as well, and has three in his last four games. 

Goalie Karel Vejmelka is expected to get the start, and he has won each of his last four appearances. He is 1-2-0 with a 3.44 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in his career against the Panthers.

Vejmelka’s nod comes after Connor Ingram posted a 2-0 shutout over the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 30.

“Teams play how they believe in their goalies,” Carcone said. “We’re really fortunate this year to have both of those guys.”

Player to Watch: Durzi has two assists in four games against Florida, but keep an eye on forward Clayton Keller, who has four goals and five assists in 10 games against the Panthers.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Florida is in second place in the Atlantic Division, posting a 22-12-2 record through 36 games this season. The Panthers have won four straight games, most recently a 4-1 triumph over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

Sam Reinhart leads the way with 44 points on 23 goals and 21 assists, but the Panthers have a litany of offensive weapons, including Aleksander Barkov (38 points), Carter Verhaeghe (32), Matthew Tkachuk (27), and Evan Rodrigues (24).

“If you go through the metrics, it’s scary,” Tourigny said. “They’re first on chances with the forecheck, they’re one of the best teams putting pucks on net, creating chances off their cycling, and they’re one of the best teams to defend in their D-zone.”

Former Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson has had a strong season as well, recording seven goals and 11 assists in 36 games.

Between the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky has led the way, recording a 17-9-1 record with a 2.50 GAA and .911 SV% this season, while backup Anthony Stolarz is 5-3-1 with a 2.05 GAA and .918 SV%. Bobrovsky is 9-2-1 in his career against the Coyotes in his career, and Stolarz is 3-1-0.

Florida ranks 22nd in the league with 2.97 goals per game, but its defense has truly shined, allowing the third fewest at 2.56. Its power play is 18th with a 20 percent conversion rate, and  the Panthers also boast the eighth-best penalty kill at 83.04 percent.

Tuesday’s game also kicks off a stretch of hockey in which Arizona will play 13 games in 26 days leading up to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. 

“It’s a big stretch for us,” Tourigny said. “If we pass the test and we arrive at the All-Star break in a good position, that will a big win for us.”

Player to Watch: Reinhart, who has five goals in his last four games, and 11 points in 14 career games against Arizona.