The Coyotes played a physical yet speedy brand of hockey which led to their 2-1 victory over the Ducks.
Mullett Magic is back for the 2023-24 season.
The Arizona Coyotes were resilient and fought hard to win 2-1 against the Anaheim Ducks in their home opener.
There was excitement in the air and something felt different at Mullett Arena Saturday afternoon. The Coyotes organization have been advertising how they are in phase two of their rebuild and the high potential that this young core has.
Today was the fans' first time to see this new-look Coyotes team and they surely did not disappoint.
Arizona came out with fire right out of the gate, really setting the tone physically that would take place all afternoon
The Coyotes were able to draw two penalties at the end of the period. Their power play has been one of the team’s strong points through the start of the season which carried into today’s game.
Jason Zucker buried the game’s first goal on the power play to put the Coyotes up 1-0.
If there was one trait to describe this matchup it would have to be physical. The Coyotes and Ducks were going at each other all afternoon, establishing what could be a great rivalry in the future as both teams are young and on similar paths.
Clayton Keller put on a show for the fans. The 25-year-old was all over the ice making plays and using his blazing speed and nifty puck skills to generate chances. Keller scored his third goal of the season in the second period to give Arizona some much needed breathing room.
The way Arizona played tonight perfectly embodies how they like to operate on the ice. The Coyotes played a quick and speedy brand of hockey putting Anaheim on the defensive while they did not waiver physically.
The Ducks did all they could to intimidate the Coyotes but to their credit, Tourigny’s team fought back and did not let it rattle them.
Players like Matt Dumba and Liam O'Brien have been huge in bringing that tough mentality which seems to have spread contagiously throughout the locker room.
Goaltender Karel Vejmelka was awarded the first star of the game and deservedly so. He made 32 saves and only let up one goal while making crucial stops down the stretch.
Despite coming out with the win, both Michael Carcone and Jason Zucker left the game early with injuries and did not return which could be an issue for the Coyotes going forward.
Overall though, this was a great team win setting the tone for what could be a great season at Mullett Arena.