Columbus Blue Jackets (18–10–1) vs. Arizona Coyotes (7–19–5)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2017, 7 p.m. (NATIONWIDE ARENA)
The biggest mistake the Blue Jackets could make is taking the Coyotes' record at face value. Sure, they have seven wins and sit near the bottom of the NHL standings, but this is a team that plays hard and has plenty of emerging young talent.
We'll talk about one of those players in the header below, but Arizona is no pushover. The Blue Jackets are back on home ice and have to worry about only themselves as they have enough to worry about, and foremost atop the list is not turning the puck over. The Coyotes have players capable of turning mistakes into goals, and the Blue Jackets can ill afford to hurt themselves in a game they need to win.
Antti Raanta, the Coyotes' No. 1 goaltender acquired in a trade this summer with the New York Rangers, is expected to return from injury tonight and be ready to face the Blue Jackets.
You Oughta Know: Clayton Keller
This is one of the most dynamic young players in the NHL – and you may not have heard of him before now. You'll hear his name a lot going forward. He's all over the puck and plays an electric style not unlike Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau. If it feels like every Keller shift results in a scoring chance, you're not wrong. He's that good.
Fast Facts
- Last year in Glendale, former Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith made nearly 60 saves in a shootout loss to the Blue Jackets, a game that kept their winning streak (then still in its infancy) alive.
- Remember Stepan? Yep, that's the former New York Rangers center, who joined the Coyotes with Raanta in a trade this past offseason.
- The 19-year-old Keller, a top-10 pick in 2016, leads the Coyotes in scoring with 23 points in 31 games.
Previous Matchups
THIS YEAR: First of two meetings.
LAST YEAR: Blue Jackets won both meetings.
Keys to the Game
ONE: Focus on the start. The Blue Jackets had another subpar start last night but they recovered. It'll be a point of emphasis as they want to get going right away against the Coyotes tonight.
TWO: Stay disciplined. Don't give the Coyotes any additional opportunities.
THREE: Head north. The Blue Jackets' best chance to repel Arizona's speed-laden lineup is to play in the offensive zone and keep the puck going up the ice.
Coyotes Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Tobias Rieder | 31 GP, 5-5-10 | 21 | Derek Stepan | 31 GP, 5-13-18 | 9 | Clayton Keller | 31 GP, 11-12-23 |
| 16 | Max Domi | 31 GP, 2-15-17 | 18 | Christian Dvorak | 31 GP, 4-12-16 | 36 | Christian Fischer | 29 GP, 7-7-14 |
| 11 | Brendan Perlini | 25 GP, 8-2-10 | 20 | Dylan Strome | 7 GP, 1-0-1 | 10 | Anthony Duclair | 23 GP, 6-6-12 |
| 48 | Jordan Martinook | 30 GP, 2-3-5 | 15 | Brad Richardson | 29 GP, 1-4-5 | 34 | Zac Rinaldo | 26 GP, 2-1-3 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Oliver Ekman-Larsson | 31 GP, 6-12-18 | 55 | Jason Demers | 31 GP, 3-8-11 |
| 6 | Jakob Chychrun | 2 GP, 1-0-1 | 33 | Alex Goligoski | 31 GP, 3-10-13 |
| 75 | Kyle Capobianco | 1 GP, 0-0-0 | 2 | Luke Schenn | 31 GP, 0-2-2 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Antti Raanta | 13 | 4-5-2 | 2.84 | .914 | 0 |
| 31 | Scott Wedgewood | 10 | 3-5-3 | 2.97 | .908 | 1 |
