The Canadian from Montreal looked very good against the reigning Stanley Cup champions on Monday, but he will have to be at his best to return to victory on Thursday in Arizona.
After a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Habs appear to be going after easier prey. However, if he makes the same mistake as the Chicago Blackhawks, who were defeated 8-1 at small Mullett Arena on Monday, he risks having a long night against André Tourigny’s team.
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The latter also seems very satisfied with his group’s performance so far. The Coyotes have a record of 4-4-0, good for fifth place in the Central Section of the National Hockey League (NHL). When nothing is perfect, as a disappointing 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings showed on Saturday, the club is making progress thanks to Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz and Sean Durzi, the Yotes’ top three scorers.
Then there is Michael Carcone, the author of the first hat trick of his career against the Hawks. The 27-year-old hockey player seems to embody what Tourigny wants to see in his troops.
“You have to be able to do the work every day. This means focusing on details, playing according to a given structure… and that has been the hallmark of “Carcs” in the past. But he is clearly superior now,” said the pilot on the website NHL.com.
“The NHL is a demanding race track. This certainly won’t happen every night and I’ll just enjoy it and then look forward to it. “There are still a few games left,” the main person concerned added.
Reliable guards
Tourigny can also count on a goalkeeping duo that has been up to the task since the start of the season. Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram each posted a save percentage of .926 and .914, respectively, and an identical goals-against average of 2.51. Defensively, Arizona ranks eighth in the NHL with a GAA of 2.63. When it comes to the difference, Durzi stands out with +7.
Before the Coyotes take on the Canadian and begin a series of three home games, they visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.