It would be a stretch to say that opening night could determine the trajectory of the Coyotes’ season, but given what happened to this team out of the gate last year, it wouldn’t be a misguided statement, either.
The Coyotes did not win a game in regulation last season until Nov. 16 in Montreal, which came 20 games (nearly a quarter of the entire season) into the schedule. Needless to say, the Coyotes can’t afford a similar start this season if they hope to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.
Regardless, Thursday’s season-opener against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center is where the blank slate of the Coyotes’ optimism-filled, 2018-19 season will finally start to be written.