Pre-Game Capsule: Coyotes at Avalanche
© Photo by Getty Images.
By
Dave Vest @davest4yotes / Coyotes Sr. Director of News Content
WHERE: Pepsi Center
WHEN: 7 p.m. (AZ time)
TV: FOX Sports Arizona
RADIO:Arizona Sports 98.7 FM
KEY FACTS:
• The Coyotes and Avalanche will compete for the second time in five days; Colorado beat Arizona, 6-2, at Gila River Arena on Dec. 23. The Coyotes have won seven of the past 11 games played between the teams at Pepsi Center, including two of the past three.
"We're not happy with that game, so it will be nice to hopefully get one back on them," Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun said.
• Due to NHL rules regarding travel during the holiday break, the Coyotes did not fly to Colorado on Tuesday, the day before the game, per usual. Instead, they departed early Wednesday morning.
"It's a game of mental toughness," Head Coach Rick Tocchet said. "When you go into this game you can't think of all the built-in excuses. That's the last thing I want this team to do. It's a game of mental toughness sometimes and you can win games on mental toughness. It doesn't always have to be a physical thing. Mental toughness can win you games."
• Antti Raanta will start in goal. Raanta, who was pulled from Saturday's loss to the Avalanche after allowing three goals on 19 shots, is seeking his first victory since Nov. 20 at Toronto.
• Rookie Clayton Keller will enter the game with a five-game point streak that includes two goals and four assists. Keller ranks second among NHL rookies in goals (13) and third in points (29).
• The Coyotes on Tuesday recalled forward Lawson Crouse from the American Hockey League. Crouse played seven games for Arizona earlier this season before being sent to the AHL in October. The roster move likely was made because forward Zac Rinaldo received a six-game suspension from the League on Wednesday for his role in a melee between the teams in Saturday's game. Rinaldo, who has been suspended four times as an NHLer, was given a match penalty after punching Avalanche defender Sam Girard.
• Forward Brad Richardson, who suffered an upper-body injury during Saturday's game vs. Colorado, did not accompany the team to Denver for this game. Look for Brendan Perlini, who sat out Saturday's game as a healthy scratch, to replace Richardson in the lineup.
• Wednesday's game will be the first of back-to-back games for the Coyotes, who will host Toronto at Gila River Arena on Thursday. Arizona has posted a 4-0-1 record in the first game of back-to-back games this season.
• Tocchet is hopeful the three days away from the rink served his team well.
"We've got to reboot," Tocchet said. "You can go two ways as an individual. You can just feel sorry for yourself in the next 40 (games), and just have a worse year than you have had, or you can bounce back. That's what we're looking for. We're looking for some guys to bounce back, have some pride."
• The Avs are 5-2-1 in their past seven games, but are in last place in the Central Division standings, two points behind sixth-place Minnesota. Forward Nathan MacKinnon ranks 12th in the NHL with 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists). Forward Mikko Rantanen will enter Wednesday's game with a six-game point/assist streak. Goalie Semyon Varlamov is 4-1-1 in his past six starts and has allowed just 14 goals in those six games.
COYOTE BITES:
• "You've got to go into it expecting much of the same, but from our end we've got to be way more disciplined. As much as you want to play with energy and play with a little bit of an edge, you've got to be careful not to cross that line." -- Jordan Martinook on rematch vs. Avalanche
• "We just want to forget that (loss) and start from the fresh page again. We're kind of halfway through the season so hopefully everybody is ready to turn the page and start playing the right way again, have a really good game today and get the momentum back to our game." -- Antti Raanta on rematch vs. Avalanche
• "You've got to stay focussed and you've got to play the game hard and play between the whistles. You always preach discipline. This is a physical game and things happen, but you alway have to refocus yourself. I'm a big believer in refocussing on your next shift ... They gave it to us pretty good (on Saturday). They scored six goals against us. We've got to reboot ourselves." -- Rick Tocchet on rematch vs. Avalanche
