After enduring one of the more grueling road stretches in NHL history, the Coyotes return home for an extended stay in the Valley. Still, home-ice advantage aside, it won’t get any easier for them as they are slated to take on arguably the two most formidable teams in the NHL to kick things off.
The Coyotes will face the Presidents’ Trophy frontrunners (Tampa Bay Lightning) and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions (Pittsburgh Penguins) on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, to christen a five-game homestand at Gila River Arena.
Although his team will be immediately tested at home, coach Rick Tocchet said he’s looking forward to seeing how the Coyotes stack up to the class of the NHL.