The Arizona Coyotes are looking really good thus far, winning their first two games against highly-favored opponents, the Kings and Penguins. But they’ll be faced with another tough foe in the form of the Anaheim Ducks, who are still searching for their first win of the 2016 season, later tonight at Honda Center.
Who will emerge victorious in this one? Will the Coyotes stay perfect? Or will the Ducks send them back down to earth? Read on below for a complete breakdown of this Pacific Division clash. And for more hockey action, check out our other preview between the Blackhawks and Flyers.
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Arizona Coyotes vs. Anaheim Ducks Preview
Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
When: Wednesday, October 14, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Arizona Coyotes (+195) at Anaheim Ducks (-235); total 5.5 – view all NHL lines
Betting on the Arizona Coyotes
Coming off a dismal 24-win season, the Arizona Coyotes have looked really determined for better results in their 2015-16 campaign. They’ve already shocked fans with two-straight wins opposite a pair of contenders in the Kings and Penguins. The Coyotes will now strive for their first 3-0-0 start in more than a decade when they pay the Anaheim Ducks a visit at Honda Center this evening.
[sc:NHL240 ]Playing a big part to the Coyotes’ early success is their goaltender, Mike Smith. Smith, who recorded a league-high 42 losses and a career-low 3.16 goals-against average in the 2014-15 season, has delivered the goods with stellar performances through the first two games. He negated all but two of the 69 shots he’s encountered during that stretch.
Furthermore, excellent team-play has been paying immediate dividends for the Coyotes, as they have had five players score their six goals. The pair of Max Domi and Anthony Duclair has been one of the bright spots in their offensive attacks. Both have combined for four points and three assists.
Jordan Martinook, meanwhile, also joined in the fun by delivering the game-winning goal on five shots with a hit on Saturday’s 2-1 victory against Pittsburgh. That was his first ever goal after 10 career games.
The Coyotes will certainly try to rely once again on the rest of their young guns to outplay an Anaheim offense that has only managed to garner a single point in their first two matches of the year. But of course, that’ll be easier said than done especially with Frederik Andersen, who is 3-0-2 with a 1.16 GAA and .956 save percentage through three career starts versus their division rivals, between the pipes.
Arizona is 3-7 SU and 3-5-2 OU in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks have also surprised thus far this 2015-16 season. The Ducks, who are the three-time defending Pacific division champions, have uncharacteristically lost their first two games, including a gut-wrenching home-opener 2-1 shootout setback to the Canucks Monday night. They are now on the verge of opening with three-straight defeat for the first time since 2010-11 when they play host to their division rivals, Arizona Coyotes, tonight.
For the Ducks to finally notch their first win, they’ll need to find a way to relocate their offense that averaged 2.78 goals per game, which was the second-best in NHL during the 2014-15 season. Anaheim’s pair of stars in Captain Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry can attest to their team’s struggles as both have failed to record a point across the first two matches.
But it seems likely that the two are bound to finally find the net tater. Getzlaf has scored 17 goals along with 17 assists for a total of 57 points throughout 56 career games versus the Coyotes. Perry, meanwhile, has been pretty solid as well in the same matchup, accumulating 42 points (23 goals and 19 assists) in over 53 career contests.
Anaheim is 8-0-2 in their past 10 meetings with Arizona and also has won seven of its previous 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Ducks (-235) finally receive some efficient productions from Getzlaf and Perry to help them overwhelm the Ducks, 4-1.
