Coyotes Game 70 Preview: Coyotes and Blackhawks face off in tank battle

Mar 18, 2023 - 3:00 PM

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Game Preview

The Arizona Coyotes are on a roll. They come into tonight’s game on a seven-game point streak and a three-game win streak after beating the Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks.

Arizona’s most recent win was Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. It was a solid regulation win for the Desert Dogs, featuring two power play goals and some solid play from goaltender Ivan Prosvetov.

The Coyotes’ power play has struggled all season, and though it has been doing better lately, it still lacks consistency. But the Coyotes scored on two of their three attempts, with Boyd giving the Yotes their first lead midway through the second and Lawson Crouse scoring the game-winner in the third.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good from the Desert Dogs. The Vancouver Canucks had five power plays throughout the game, which is way too many. The Coyotes managed to kill all five, but they can’t afford to give their opponents so many opportunities.

But the Coyotes are just one of the tanking teams who has done well since the deadline. The Blackhawks may not have the same point streak, but they have a 3-3-1 record, including wins over some good teams.

Chicago comes into tonight’s match after beating the Nashville Predators this past Thursday and the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. Tonight will be the second game of a five-game road trip for the Blackhawks, with their next matchup on Monday against the Avalanche.

The Blackhawks may no longer have their top scorers, but that provides an opportunity for their younger players. Twenty-year-old Lukas Reichel got the Blackhawks on the board against the Predators, and in 12 games, he has an impressive three goals and four assists. Also scoring for Chicago was Joey Anderson, who has five points in ten games with the Blackhawks after being acquired from the Leafs.

Tonight’s game has all the ingredients necessary for craziness to ensue. We have two bad teams who have been surprisingly good after a deadline that saw them lose key players. Both teams have players playing for pride or their next contract, so don’t expect either to go down without a fight.

Players to Watch

Arizona: Matias Maccelli - Maccelli had an assist on Lawson Crouse’s goal in the Coyotes’ last game and has a goal and two assists in his past two games. The rookie is having a phenomenal season and comes into tonight’s game with 38 points.

Chicago: Taylor Raddysh - The 25-year-old forward is having his first 20-goal season in the NHL with three goals against the Avalanche earlier this week. Raddysh leads the Blackhawks in goals and points (33) this season, although he was held off the board the first two times he played the Coyotes.

Injuries

Arizona: Josh Brown (questionable, undisclosed), Nick Schmaltz (lower body), Jakub Voráček (concussion), Shea Weber (ankle), Bryan Little (ear), Andrew Ladd (knee)

Chicago: Petr Mrázek (questionable, groin), Austin Wagner (infection), Cole Guttman (shoulder), Anders Bjork (groin), Andreas Englund (hamstring), Colin Blackwell (groin), Reese Johnson (concussion), Jonathan Toews (illness)

Puck Drop

Tonight’s game will be at 7:30 pm Arizona time and will air on Bally Sports Arizona and ESPN 620 AM.