The Nashville Predators return from their bye week and host the Arizona Coyotes tonight. Historically, this first game has been a tough one for the Preds, who’ve struggled in their returns from breaks. The Coyotes lost their own return on Thursday, a 3-2 decision by the Vegas Golden Knights.
Clayton Keller has been the standout star for the Coyotes. His 21 goals and 46 points lead the team, while his 25 assists are only just behind Matias Maccelli for the lead. Maccelli and Nick Schmaltz are second and third in points with 33 and 30, while Lawson Crouse and Michael Carcone are the runners-up in goals with 19 and 15.
Connor Ingram is having a solid year in goal, with a .914 sv% on the season, while backup Karel Vejmelka is having a rougher time and has posted a .897. The Coyotes have struggled defensively, at even strength and especially on the penalty kill, so Ingram has been a key part of their successes so far.
Offensively, they’ve also struggled to get to the dangerous parts of the ice, but at this point in the season it’s fair to say they’ve got skill and/or good tactics, not just luck, that’s been helping them score anyway. They still need the bounces, of course, but they’ve gotten them, and they’ve combined those with a knack for scoring despite the disadvantage they’ve put themselves at.
The game airs at 7PM Central on Bally Sports South and 102.5 The Game.