The Arizona Coyotes face the Dallas Stars tonight in what will be a pivotal game. Here’s what it will take for the Coyotes to pull off the upset and defeat Dallas. It's all pretty simple. START STRONG: The Coyotes have a tendency to give up goals early in the first period which puts them in a big hole for the remainder of the game. Against a team like the Stars, Arizona very well may not be able to recover from an early deficit so it’s emphatic that the Coyotes start the game off strong. They are playing in front of a hostile Dallas crowd and one of the most potent offenses in the entire NHL so the odds are already stacked against the Coyotes. If they start the game off on a high note and punch the Stars in the mouth early, the Coyotes would be able to seize momentum and catch their opposition off guard. Coach André Tourigny spoke prior to the Coyotes matchup aginst the Stars. CAPITALIZE ON POWER PLAY: The power play has become a critical part of the Coyotes game this season. Arizona currently ranks fourth in power play goals with 16 and fifth in power play percentage at 29.1% which is just phenomenal. Tonight especially, the Coyotes need to continue their hot play on the man advantage. The Stars are a tough team to play five-on-five so capitalizing on the power play will be important. The Coyotes first power play unit of Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, Logan Cooley, Nick Schmaltz and Sean Durzi will be the team’s key to victory. STAY DISCIPLINED: In the Coyotes 2-1 loss to the Blues last week, they committed a total of seven penalties which really put them on the defensive all game long. If Arizona were to have that many penalties and be forced to go up against a Stars power play that has some elite forwards, they would most likely give up a lot more than two goals. The Coyotes can play a physical brand of hockey but it has to be clean. It’s very important that coach André Tourigny preaches the significance of staying disciplined. While the Coyotes have an overall strong penalty kill, it doesn't just justify their undisciplined play which haunts them at times.
