ARIZONA COYOTES NOTES:
3 HARD LAPS
• Arizona is 3-5-2 in the month of December but is 2-2-1 in its last five games
• Clayton Keller leads ARI with 30 pts (12-18-30) and became just the fifth Coyote (since 1996-97) to reach the 30-pt plateau within his 30th game of a season…Keller enters tonight with 8 pts (5-3-8) in his last 6 GP and has a 4-game point streak versus Vegas
• Jakob Chychrun comes into tonight 1 assist shy of 100 in his career. He’s also near the top of the leaderboard for most assists by a Coyotes/Jets defenseman through 14 games played in a season
LAST GAME
Canadiens 3, Coyotes 2 (OT) – December 19, 2022 – Mullett Arena
ARI Goals: Schmaltz (5), Maccelli (3)
MTL Goals: Caufield (19), Dvorak (7), Hoffman (7)
ARI Goalie: Vejmelka (O) – 23 svs on 26 shots
MTL Goalie: Montembeault (W) – 37 svs on 39 shots
PP: 0-2 PK: 2-2
Notes: ARI fell in OT to MTL but got a point to finish the homestand 1-1-1…Nick Schmaltz scored Arizona’s first goal and is now on a five-game home point streak…In Schmaltz’s five home games this season, the forward has produced 2-6-8…Jakob Chychrun joined Schmaltz by extending his home point streak to five games when he assisted on Matias Maccelli’s goal…Chychrun’s helper was his 10th of the season…The dueling five-game home point streaks are the highest by a Coyote this season…Clayton Keller assisted on Schmaltz’s goal for his 30th point of the season (12-18-30 in 30 GP)…Lawson Crouse also chipped in an assist…The Coyotes set a season-high in shots on goal in a game with 39 and net shots with +13…The last time the Coyotes out-shot a team by at least 13 shots was 12/28/21 at SJ (+19)
MAN GAMES LOST (Name/Roster Status/Injury Type/Games Missed/Last Game Played)
Liam O’Brien…Week-to-Week…Upper-Body (2 / 12/16)
Total man games lost: 65 games
Jakob Chychrun (16), Nick Schmaltz (15), Zack Kassian (9), Connor Timmins (9), Andrew Ladd (6), Josh Brown (3),
Ben McCartney (3), Juuso Valimaki (1), Lawson Crouse (1)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
-12/18 – Assigned F Jan Jenik to Tucson (AHL)
-12/17 – Recalled F Jan Jenik from Tucson (AHL)
-12/15 – Assigned D Dysin Mayo to Tucson (AHL)
-12/8 – Loaned F Dylan Guenther to Team Canada for the 2023 WJC
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
DATE TIME
(AZ)
OPPONENT VENUE TV RADIO
Fri, Dec 23 7:30pm vs LAK Mullett Arena Bally Sports Arizona
Extra
ESPN 620
Tue, Dec 27 7pm vs COL Mullett Arena Bally Sports Arizona
Extra
ESPN 620
Thur, Dec 29 7pm vs TOR Mullett Arena Bally Sports Arizona 98.7 FM
YOTES & KNIGHTS
-Tonight is the second of three ARI-VGK matchups this season. Vegas took the first game 4-1 on 11/17 at T-Mobile
-They’ll play again at Mullett on 1/22
-Clayton Keller scored Arizona’s goal in the November matchup. That goal gives him sole possession of the most career points against VGK by current Coyotes (12)
-Keller also comes into tonight with a 4-game point streak against VGK, totaling 1-3-4 in that span -Nick Schmaltz is expected to face the Golden Knights for the first time this season. The forward notched two goals against them on 2/25/22, one of five multi-goal games he tallied in 2021-22
-Schmaltz’s 8 career goals against VGK are the most he’s produced against an NHL opponent
-Coyotes vs Golden Knights:
• All-Time: 7-12-0-5
• Home: 4-4-0-3
• Road: 3-8-0-2
• L10: 3-6-1
• STRK: L2
SCORING NOTABLES AGAINST THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Clayton Keller…2-10-12…23 career GP
Jakob Chychrun…2-7-9…19 career GP
Nick Schmaltz…8-3-11…17 career GP
Zack Kassian…1-6-7…14 career GP
Travis Boyd…1-2-3…6 career GP
Career Leaders
Goals (Schmaltz, 8)… Assists (Keller, 10)…Points (Keller, 12)
Career Leaders Among Defensemen
Goals (Chychrun, 2)… Assists (Chychrun, 7)…Points (Chychrun, 9)
KELLER INSTINCT
-Clayton Keller enters tonight among Arizona leaders in goals (12, 2nd), assists (18, 2nd) and points (30, 1st) in 2022- 23
-Keller got back on the scoresheet with an assist on Monday and is on a run of 8 pts (5-3-8) in his last 6 GP
-The helper was Keller’s 30th point of the campaign, which took place in his 30th game. Since the franchise relocated to Arizona, Keller is the fifth Coyote (eighth instance) to reach 30 points within his first 30 games of a season
FEWEST GAMES BY A COYOTE TO 30 PTS (SINCE 1996-97)
NAME SEASON GP SCORING LINE DATES
Jeremy Roenick 1999-00 19 14-16-30 10/2/99 – 11/28/99
Jeremy Roenick 1998-99 25 10-20-30 10/11/98 – 12/16/98
Keith Tkachuk 1998-99 26 17-14-31 10/11/98 – 12/22/98
Ladislav Nagy 2005-06 27 11-20-31 10/8/05 – 12/5/05
Ladislav Nagy 2003-04 28 14-16-30 10/10/03 – 12/12/03
Shane Doan 2003-04 29 11-19-30 10/10/03 – 12/12/03
Clayton Keller 2022-23 30 12-18-30 10/13/22 – 12/19/22
Keith Tkachuk 1997-98 30 17-14-31 10/1/97 – 12/10/97
-2022-23 also marks Keller’s sixth consecutive season of reaching the 30-point benchmark. Only Dale Hawerchuk (7) has recorded more 30+ point seasons with the Coyotes/Jets franchise before turning 25
-The winger has been clear of a point per game since 11/18/21, recording 37-50-87 in 81 GP since then. His 1.07 points per game in that span ranks 6th among RW (Min. 50 GP)
IN THE NICK OF TIME
-Nick Schmaltz has begun his season with 5-7-12 in 15 GP and comes into tonight on a 3-game point streak. A point tonight would establish a season-high point streak for Schmaltz
-All 12 of Schmaltz’s points have come since returning from injury (11/21), which ranks T-3rd on the Coyotes since then
-The forward has registered 1-4-5 in his last 3 GP as well as 2-6-8 in his last 6 GP
-Arizona is 12-3-2 when Schmaltz records a multi-point game since the start of 2021-22…This season in Coyotes wins, he’s registered 2-5-7 in 4 GP
-In his last 82 games (since 4/26/21), Schmaltz has recorded 28-47-75
-Since his Coyotes debut on 11/27/18, Schmaltz has tallied 54-108-162 in 217 GP. His 0.75 PPG paces the Coyotes since then (min. 50 GP) and his point total trails just Keller in that span
CHYCHA CHYCHA BOOM BOOM
-Jakob Chychrun has posted a 3-10-13 scoring line in 14 games this season. All 13 of his points have come in his last 13 games
-Since 11/23 (his last 13 GP), Chychrun ranks among NHL blueliners in goals (T-6th), assists (T-5th), points (T-4th) and shots (50, 3rd)
-Chychrun is also on simultaneous runs of 2-8-10 in his last 9 GP and 8 assists in his last 8 GP
-Chychrun reached 10 assists this year with an assist on Monday, his 14th game. Per NHL Stats & Info, he’s the eighth defenseman (10th instance) in Coyotes/Jets franchise history to require 14 or fewer games in a season to reach 10 assists. Keith Yandle was the last to do it to begin 2014-15
-Only four Coyotes/Jets defensemen (five instances) have recorded 11+ assists within his first 15 games of a season
(Source: NHL Stats & Info)
NAME SEASON SCORING LINE DATES
Phil Housley 1992-93 3-15-18 10/6/92 – 11/12/92
Phil Housley 1991-92 6-15-21 10/4/91 – 11/3/91
Dave Ellett 1987-88 2-12-14 10/10/87 – 11/12/87
Moe Mantha 1983-84 7-12-19 10/25/83 – 11/24/83
Oliver EkmanLarsson
2020-21 0-11-11 1/14/21 – 3/8/21
-The seventh-year NHLer enters tonight with 99 career assists. A helper tonight would make him just the ninth defensemen in Coyotes/Jets history to register 50+ goals and 100+ assists with the franchise
-Chychrun extended his home point streak to 5 games on Monday. The last Coyotes defenseman to post a 5+ game home point streak was Oliver Ekman-Larsson in March of 2019
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Shayne Gostisbehere (8-15-23 in 30 GP) enters tonight ranking among NHL d-men leaders in goals (T-4th), points(T-13th), power-play goals (3, T-6th) and even-strength points (14, T-12th) on the campaign
-The blueliner has compiled 9 pts (4-5-9) in his last nine games, as well as 13 pts (4-9-13) in his last 13 GP (since 11/23)
-Since 11/23, Gostisbehere ranks T-1st among NHL d-men in goals, T-4th in points as well as T-8th in assists
-Gostisbehere (82-211-293 in 493 GP) is closing in on 300 pts and 500 games for his career. He is on track to become the sixth player and second defenseman from the 2012 Draft Class to play in 500+ games and record 300+ points (Filip Forsberg, Tomas Hertl, Morgan Rielly, Teuvo Teravainen, Alex Galchenyuk)
ROOKIE MAKING HIS MARK
-Matias Maccelli (3-19-22 in 28 GP) comes into tonight among NHL rookie leaders in multiple statistical categories
-He ranks among NHL rookie leaders in assists (1st), points per game (1st, 0.79; [min 15 GP]), points (2nd), powerplay assists (7, 2nd) and power-play points (8, T-2nd)
-Maccelli has found the scoresheet in three of his last four games, including a goal last time out. He enters tonight just two points off the rookie lead (SEA’s Matty Beniers)
-Since 1996-97, only three Coyotes (four instances) have reached 20 assists in a season within 30 games or fewer regardless of rookie status:
Jeremy Roenick – 21 GP (1999-00)
Jeremy Roenick – 23 GP (1998-99)
Craig Janney – 26 GP (1997-98)
Ladislav Nagy – 27 GP (2005-06)
YOTES COACH’S CHALLENGE
2022-23: 0-for-0, -%
Interference Challenge Rate: 0-for-0 (-%)
Offsides Challenge Rate: 0-for-0 (-)
Miscellaneous Challenge Rate: 0-for-0 (-%)
Last Team Challenge: (W) March 27, 2022 – Original Call Overturned; ARI requested a Coach’s Challenge for a missed stoppage of play. The Situation Room determined that the puck hit the protective netting behind ARI’s net prior to WPG’s Adam Lowry’s goal and, therefore, was out of play
Last Situation Room-Initiated Challenge: (Overturned) Oct. 17, 2022 – Original Call Overturned; The situation room called to review if Morgan Rielly batted the puck with his hand inside the attacking zone before Mitch Marner subsequently gained possession and control. It was deemed that Marner was the first player to gain possession and control of the puck after Rielly batted it with his hand and, therefore, no goal
2022-23 OVERTIME RESULTS: (1-3-2)
Last overtime win: 12/11/22 vs PHI (W, 5-4, GWG – C. Keller)
Last overtime loss: 12/19/22 vs MTL (L, 3-2, GWG – M. Hoffman)
Last overtime that led to shootout: 11/25/22 at DET
2022-23 SHOOTOUT RESULTS: (0-2)
Last shootout win: 2/1/22 at COL (W, 3-2, SDG – A. Galchenyuk)
Last shootout loss: 11/25/22 at DET (L, 4-3, SDG – D. Larkin)
CAREER OT POINT CHARTD
PLAYER NAME GOALS ASSISTS POINTS
Shayne Gostisbehere 7 9 16
Clayton Keller 5 6 11
Nick Schmaltz 1 7 8
Jakob Chychrun 2 4 6
Christian Fischer 2 1 3
Travis Boyd 1 1 2
Nick Bjugstad 0 1 1
Troy Stecher 0 1 1
Barrett Hayton 0 1 1
Juuso Valimaki 0 1 1
Matias Maccelli 0 1 1
2022-23 COYOTES RECORD ON…
1-Day Rest: 7-9-3
2-Days Rest: 3-1-1
3+ Days Rest: 0-3-1
Back-to-Backs
Coyotes record on…
First Game of Back-to-Back: 1-1-0
Second Game of Back-to-Back: 0-2-0
When ARI and opponent is completing a back-to-back: 0-1-0
When completing a back-to-back where opponent is not: 0-1-0
When ARI is not completing a back-to-back but opponent is: 0-1-1
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES:
GOLDEN KNIGHTS UPCOMING GAMES
Golden Knights 2022-23 Record: 22-11-1, 45 points (8-9-0 at Home, 14-2-1 on Road)
DATE OPPONENT TELEVISION RADIO SPANISH RADIO
Dec. 21 vs. Arizona Coyotes AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
Dec. 23 vs. St. Louis Blues AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
Dec. 27 at Los Angeles Kings AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM None
Dec. 28 at Anaheim Ducks AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM None
Dec. 31 vs. Nashville Predators AT&T SportsNet Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
GOLDEN KNIGHTS LAST GAME RECAP
December 19 – Vegas Golden Knights 2, Buffalo Sabres 3
The Vegas Golden Knights (22-11-1) came up short against the Buffalo Sabres (16-14-2) in a 3-2 defeat on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena. After a scoreless first period, the Sabres used goals from Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Lawrence Pilut to take a 3-0 lead through 40 minutes. Chandler Stephenson and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights, but Ukko-Pekka Luukonen stopped 41 shots to secure the 3-2 win for Buffalo.
LAST GAME BY THE NUMBERS
- Smith extends his goal streak to three games and point streak to four
- Stephenson’s goal is his second in three games after breaking a 16-game drought
- Vegas drops to 22-11-1 on the season and 8-9-0 at home
Reilly Smith is Coming to Town
Reilly Smith’s goal against Buffalo on Monday was his fifth in three games. Last week, the forward had two goals in back-to-back games for the second time this season. Smith now owns 17 goals this season, leading all Vegas players and ninth in the NHL.
Easy Steph-y
Chandler Stephenson scored against the Sabres to extend his point streak to five games. This is the third time this season Stephenson has reached a point streak of this length, matching his career high. The forward recently broke his 16-game goal drought in Vegas’ win over Chicago. Stephenson has eight points in the last four games (2-6—8) including his four assists in Winnipeg last Tuesday to tie his career high and the road record for VGK (last Stone 2/23/20). Stephenson leads the club in helpers with 22 on the season (T-12th for NHL forwards). Stephenson’s 61.0 faceoff win percentage ranks fourth in the NHL among all qualified skaters.
Shooting Stars
Vegas has put 81 shots on goal in the last two games, its most in consecutive games since the first two contests of the season (88).
The team’s 43 shots on goal Monday vs. Buffalo included 23 in the third period.
The Shorty King
Reilly Smith netted his fourth shorthanded goal of the season at Chicago last Thursday, which leads the league. Vegas has the second most shorthanded goals by a team with five this season. Smith’s 12 shorthanded goals since joining Vegas in 2017-18 are the most in franchise history.
Martinez Block Party
Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez leads the NHL with 124 blocked shots in 34 games and is the only player in the league to reach the century mark this season. Martinez has led the team in blocked shots in 21 of 34 games.
Spreading the Wealth
Eight Golden Knights have recorded 20 or more points this season, which is the most of any team in the league. Chandler Stephenson leads the club with 30 points, followed by, Jack Eichel with 29 points and Jonathan Marchessault with 26 points.
Golden Knights Point Leaders
- Chandler Stephenson – 30 (8G, 22A)
- Jack Eichel – 29 (13G, 16A)
- Jonathan Marchessault – 26 (14G, 12A)
- Reilly Smith – 25 (17G, 8A)
Mark Stone – 25 (12G, 13A) - William Karlsson – 23 (7G, 16A)
Alex Pietrangelo – 23 (3G, 20A)
Hot Streaks
Chandler Stephenson (2-6—8) – 5 games
Reilly Smith (5-2—7) – 4 games
Against the Coyotes
Vegas’ contest with Arizona on Wednesday marks the second of three this season. The Golden Knights own an overall record of 17-7-0 against the Coyotes and are 10-3-0 on home ice. The last time these two teams met, Vegas dominated Arizona in a 4-1 victory seeing goals from four different Golden Knights: Alex Pietrangelo, William Carrier, Mark Stone, and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights outscored the Coyotes 14-4 last season and have held them to three goals or less in their last seven meetings. Alex Pietrangelo leads in career points against Arizona with 28 points (8G, 20A) in 44 games played.
2022-23 Season ARI Series: 1-0-0 (Home: 1-0-0, Road: 0-0-0)
Nov. 17 – at Vegas (Vegas 4, Arizona 1)
Dec. 21 – at Vegas
Jan. 22 – at Arizona
2021-22 Season ARI Series: 2-1-0 (Home: 1-0-0, Road: 1-1-0)
Dec. 3 – at Arizona (Vegas 7, Arizona 1)
Feb. 25 – at Arizona (Vegas 1, Arizona 3)
Apr. 9 – at Vegas (Vegas 6, Arizona 1)
