The Arizona Coyotes bounced back in a huge way on Saturday night defeating the Nashville Predators in what was a back and forth affair. Just two nights ago, the Coyotes lost 2-1 to the St. Louis Blues arguably playing their worst and most undisciplined game of the season. Arizona was in dire need of a win after coming out flat in St. Louis. The Coyotes have struggled at the beginning of games specifically on the road. That trend continued as the Predators scored two quick goals making it 2-0 while completely dominating play. What has also been a common theme is the Coyotes climbing back from these early deficits. They needed a couple lucky breaks and that’s exactly what they got. Michael Carcone took a bizarre shot through traffic just a couple minutes after the Predators second goal to make it 2-1. Towards the end of the first period, Troy Stecher zoomed out of the penalty box which led to a breakaway goal and all of the sudden the game was tied. Trouble would brew for the Coyotes once again immediately after they tied the game. The Predators scored a goal late in the first and one early in the second to seize back the momentum and put Arizona in yet another two-goal hole. Many opposing teams may not know it yet, but the Coyotes are a squad that never quits and are not easy to put away whatsoever. Nashville took their foot off the gas pedal and the Coyotes capitalized. It all started with a red-hot Coyotes power play. Logan Cooley delivered a pin-point pass to Clayton Keller who ripped the puck into the net, cutting the lead to just one goal. Alexander Kerfoot is a player that had struggled offensively to start the year but he came to play for the bright lights of Nashville. He was finally able to get on the scoresheet for the first time this season just a few minutes after Keller’s goal to tie the game. At this point, the Coyotes had already come back from two multi-goal deficits and had every bit of momentum on their side. To make matters better, Carcone took another crazy shot from distance that found its way in the net and after trailing for most of the game up to this point, the Coyotes had a 5-4 lead at the end of the second period. While the Predators would eventually tie the game, Sean Durzi’s power play goal late in the third period was the nail in the coffin and they would go on to secure a crucial victory. Most teams that suffer not one but two multi-goal deficits are usually unable to recover, but not the Coyotes though. They put their grit and resilience on display tonight and it showed in a huge way. It’s really the mantra of this team. The Coyotes have been laughed at and ridiculed for years but this season they are proving that they are no push-over and will fight hard each and every game. We are just two days removed from the Coyotes worst offensive display and now they go off for seven goals, it's just uncanny. André Tourigny spoke following the Coyotes 7-5 victory over the Predators. The key is consistency. The Coyotes had a great night but they will need to take aspects from this game and carry it into future matchups. The morale is back sky-high for the Coyotes as they continue their road trip on Tuesday, facing the Dallas Stars.
