Statistics speak volumes about how a certain thing is doing. In this piece, it’s about where the Arizona Coyotes stand in four major statistical categories: goals-against average (GAA), goals for per game (GF/G), power play (PP), and penalty kill (PK). In seasons prior to the 2023-24 campaign, it hasn’t always been pretty, and most of the time, the team was in the bottom half of nearly every statistical category.
Related: Coyotes’ Continued Struggles Will Lead to Trade Deadline Sell-Off
This season has been a breath of fresh air, as many of these critical categories have vastly improved. The PP has taken a step forward, along with small baby steps by the PK. Like any NHL team, there have been plenty of ups and downs, but the Coyotes are growing and improving statistically.
Goals Against Average Being Carried by Goaltending
GAA is one of the most important statistics in the game of hockey. It shows how good a team’s defense is and how well it’s kept the puck out of the net. Having a good goaltender also helps; having elite players in both will usually see those teams atop the list. So far this season, that title belongs to the Winnipeg Jets, who have had a stellar season, much thanks to their strong play from all facets of the game.
The Coyotes, however, actually are in a good ranking for where they are in their rebuild. Currently, they rank 15th in the league with a GAA of 3.06, which is better than teams such as the Colorado Avalanche and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most of this is likely due to the outstanding play from goaltender Connor Ingram, who has a league-leading six shutouts. While the defense corps has vastly improved, it’s a fair argument to say they don’t have a top-pairing defenseman, as Sean Durzi and J.J. Moser aren’t quite there yet.
While it may not seem like it, the Coyotes are still in the midst of a rebuild, and this is one of many growth phases we’ll see. However, ranking 15th in GAA is something to be encouraged by at the All-Star Break.
Goals for per Game Taking Slight Dive
They say defense is the best offense, but is that really true? For the Coyotes, it actually is in some cases. They added lots of offensive talent in the offseason to help with their constant scoreless droughts last season. In free agency, they signed Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot, and a top prospect, Logan Cooley, signed his pro contract. Expectations were much higher, and it was anticipated the GF/G would increase.
This season, they rank slightly behind the middle of the pack with 2.94 GF/G, sitting at 22nd in the league. This doesn’t seem impressive, but January has taken a massive toll on the team, as they’ve played playoff contender after playoff contender. Not to mention, their schedule of travel was not favorable either.
With that being said, it’ll be interesting to see if this number goes up or down after the All-Star Break, as they’re getting Barrett Hayton back to full strength. He exploded down the stretch last season and being injured since early November, he’ll be eager to hit the ice again.
Has the Power Play Cooled Down?
The Coyotes PP was lethal, dynamic, and highly effective early in the season. Every time they went on the man advantage, there was a sense they could score at any given moment. Players like Nick Schmaltz, Durzi, and Clayton Keller made that happen. Now, it hasn’t felt quite like that, and it’s plausible to say they’ve cooled down since then. As of now, the team has a conversion rate of 22% on the PP and ranks 14th across the league.
Obviously, that’s not a bad spot to be in heading into the All-Star Break, but compared to earlier in the season, the PP has taken quite the nose dive. However, that’s not to discredit the job Durzi has done since arriving in Arizona via trade. He has completely revolutionized this PP, and when he’s been out of the lineup, it looks like a mess on the ice.
Keller has also found great success, and his one-timer on the right side is slowly becoming his go-to shot. As mentioned, Hayton’s return will do wonders for the team, and adding him back to the PP will surely help.
What’s the Penalty Kill Look Like?
The Coyotes’ penalty kill has seen its ups and downs throughout the season, but heading into the All-Star Break, they can’t be upset with where they are. They sit 18th in the league and kill penalties 78.2% of the time. That’s better than playoff contenders such as the Maple Leafs and New York Islanders. Most of the success on the PK has been thanks to Kerfoot and Lawson Crouse.
Both players have been dynamite on the PK and are key reasons they aren’t ranked lower than they are. Moser also deserves his flowers, as he has become arguably the best defenseman on the team and has stepped up on the PK. Not to mention, once again, the goaltending. While Karel Vejmelka hasn’t seen much playing team recently, Ingram hasn’t missed a beat, and most of the time, they have played better when down a man.
While it’s certainly an improvement from last season, they’ll have to take another leap after the All-Star Break if they want to talk about playoffs in April.
Statistically, Coyotes Are in a Good Position
In the past, the Coyotes have been in the basement of the NHL and have struggled. The past two seasons, they were rebuilding, and then the seasons prior, they were mediocre at best. So it’s been a great sign to see the team’s growth in these statistical categories, which are immensely important throughout the season. Time will tell how they finish, but they’re trending in the right direction and could be ahead of the rebuild ever so slightly.
