Coyotes Surge

Oettinger Five Straight Wins

The Arizona Coyotes managed to grab a key win yesterday over the Nashville Predators as Jake Oettinger grabbed his fifth consecutive start and win. The netminder turned aside 31 of 32 shots and now sits with a record of 6-2-1 after a very rocky start to the season. Rookie Matty Beniers also managed to have a solid performance as he chipped in for two assists to help his team towards the 4-1 victory. During the victory, the Coyotes D were able to hold off newcomers Artemi Panarin, Jamie Oleksiak, and major future cornerstone Domanik Kubalik, as the trio combined for 0 goals, 0 assists, -2, and 7 shots on net. 

Despite the many ups the Coyotes are currently experiencing, Valeri Nichushkin had to be helped off the ice in the first period with what is being described as a lower body injury. There is no exact timeline for his return at the moment but it is expected he will be out for roughly a month. Look for the Coyotes to give new rookie Kirill Marchenko a try in the top six as he looks to build some chemisty with his new team.  

For now, the Coyotes are relying on their goaltenders as they struggle to find their scoring touch. The Coyotes currently sit 26th overall when it comes to team shooting and 27th in goals for, but 1st in goals against. The duo of Otter and Allen appear to be early season candidates to win the William M. Jennings Trophy as the two combine for an average GAA of 1.70 and SV% of 0.937, and have helped carry this team to top of the Central division.