Scouting Report (Courtesy of Field Level Media/AP)
Strong work by Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper and a stout defense in front of him are making hockey quite interesting in the Southwest desert.
Arizona kicked off a season-long seven-game homestand against Winnipeg on Sunday, and the Coyotes found themselves on the winning side of a 4-1 decision against Jets -- who led the Central Division at the time.
The Coyotes are inching closer to the second wild-card spot, buoyed by victories in six of their last eight games. And they have done it with good goaltending from Kuemper and a strong overall defensive effort: The goalie has gone 6-1-0 in his last seven starts, and the club has allowed two goals or fewer in all six wins.