The Coyotes are exceeding expectations as they still are very much in the Western Conference playoff race halfway through the season.
The Coyotes are exceeding expectations as they still are very much in the Western Conference playoff race halfway through the season.
The Arizona Coyotes are officially halfway through the 2023-24 season.
Over the course of 41 games, the Coyotes have a 21-18-2 record, 44 points and sit just outside of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Arizona has certainly exceeded expectations thus far and to many people’s surprise, they are still competing to make the playoffs midway through the season.
In year three under coach André Tourigny, the changes in culture are very evident.
The Coyotes play a fast, tough and hard-nosed brand of hockey as their relentless style helps them compete against their opponent on any given night.
Clayton Keller is having another fantastic season. The 25-year-old forward has 17 goals, 21 assists and 38 points, propelling him to be named an All-Star for the fourth time in his career, the most in Coyotes franchise history.
Keller is not a one-man show though. This season, Arizona seems to have its deepest forward corps in years with players like Matias Maccelli, Lawson Crouse, Nick Schmaltz, Alexander Kerfoot and Logan Cooley stepping up in a huge way just to name a few.
Defensively, Sean Durzi has taken the mantle of being the team’s number one defenseman and is thriving in that position so far. The Coyotes have a defensive core that consists of multiple fast skaters who not only know how to play in their own zone but are capable of making an impact offensively.
In net, it’s been the Connor Ingram show. The 26-year-old currently holds a 15-8 record, 2.51 goals against average, .919 save percentage and a league leading 5 shutouts.
Consistency needs to be a point of emphasis going into the second half of the season. Some nights the Coyotes look like a legitimate playoff team and other nights they completely implode and are almost unrecognizable.
While the Coyotes are still over .500, it will be difficult for them to stay in the playoff race if they are unable to sustain consistent play.
This season has been filled with magical moments for the Coyotes. It seems like the organization is finally turning the page on their rebuild and are no longer just pushovers.
For the Coyotes, It’s all about building off this impressive start to the year and just continuing to shock the world.