Before the start of the Coyotes’ seven-game homestand, first-year head coach Rick Tocchet said he wanted to see his team establish an identity at home.
Concluding that homestand with a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday – and collecting five wins in those seven games at Gila River Arena – the Coyotes accomplished exactly that.
“When you play at home,” Tocchet said, “you’ve got to be hard to play against. I think even the Vancouver game we lost, we deserved better. I think we’ve established a work ethic here. We’ve got a long way to go but I think we’ve established that this team will work.