Goals from Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Richard Panik and Vinnie Hinostroza, along with a 39-save performance from Darcy Kuemper, has seen the Arizona Coyotes jump into the playoff places.
Before the 2018/19 season began, the Coyotes were viewed as potential playoff dark horses – thanks to a strong showing towards the end of the previous campaign.
A fit and healthy roster that looked to have been building chemistry was all the team needed in order to progress towards a surprise playoff berth.
However, injuries decimated Rick Tocchet‘s team, leaving him with the job of dealing with what were largely AHL-experienced players along with some extra pick-ups along the way.