The Arizona Coyotes had a win secured by the end of the first period leading the Washington Capitals 5-0. They didn’t stop there however tallying more goals throughout the next two periods and winning 6-0. It was one of the most dominating performances in team history. Here are three takeaways from the massive win on Monday (Dec. 4).
The First Period Was Good, Scary Good
Coming off an impressive first-period effort against the St. Louis Blues, no one thought it could be topped. However, scoring five goals instantly made it incredible. It was the first time the team had done it since 1986 when they were still the original Winnipeg Jets.
Logan Cooley started it off by scoring his first-ever goal at Mullett Arena. Michael Carcone soon followed with his team-leading 12th goal of the season. By the end of the first, Nick Schmaltz had two goals, Clayton Keller had three assists, and both Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot had two points. The Capitals by that time already switched from starter Darcy Kuemper to Charlie Lindgren and it seemed like whatever they did, they couldn’t stop the lethal Coyotes’ offense and it became an ugly night for them.
The quick start made Connor Ingram’s job a lot easier. He was proud of the team in front of him that helped him get the shutout and the good beginning of the season they’ve had.
“Anybody that comes into the building, no matter who you are in the league, you want to have a good start and have a push in the beginning,” Ingram said. “We found that pretty well. Coming out like that makes my job a lot easier.”
The team is in the upper half of the league in scoring. It’s incredible especially because they aren’t far removed from having players like Zack Kassian and Patrick Nemeth in the lineup who didn’t produce much at all.
Schmaltzmas Came Early
Schmaltz gave Mullett Arena an early Christmas gift by putting home two goals in the first period. One came at the expense of the Capitals’ penalty kill as some fantastic passing led to the Wisconsin-born forward potting his first goal home.
The crowd last night was electric giving the team a standing ovation after their five-goal first period. After having a slow start at home where the Coyotes excelled all of last season, the team has been producing Mullett magic once again winning the past four games at home.
“I thought last year, we were really good at home,” Schmaltz said. “It’s started off a little slower this year but we wanted to make it a tough place to play and I feel the last couple of games against some really good teams, we’ve done that. We’ve come out early and jumped on them. We gotta keep that going because it’s hard to win on the road. You got to take advantage of home.”
The top line consisting of Keller, Cooley, and Schmaltz hadn’t looked the best coming into the game on Monday probably thanks to an unfortunate injury to Barrett Hayton but during the game, it looked like the normal top line again. The passing was excellent and the line combined for six points. Head coach Andre Tourigny was very happy with their performance.
“I think they were really good,” Tourigny said. “I think in the first period, they were good at creating movement. They’re good at playing in a give-and-go game when they hold onto the puck. At the end of the day it doesn’t create much when you’re playing one-on-one, you need to get a give-and-go game, find space, and get open at the right time. That’s the kind of game they played. They’re finding their way and they’re getting better every game in my opinion.”
Keller currently leads the team with 24 points. Schmaltz isn’t too far behind with 20. Meanwhile, Cooley continues to have a decent rookie season with 14 points. Although he will most likely be removed from that line when Hayton returns, it’s been good experience for him to play with some of the best players on the team and it showed against the Capitals that he’s come a long way since his first game in the NHL.
Are the Coyotes a Playoff Contender?
The Coyotes are now on a five-game winning streak, taking down the past five Stanley Cup champions in the process (Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, and the Capitals). They hold the first wild card spot in the Western Conference by a three-point lead over the Blues. They’re now eying the third spot in the Central Division that is currently held by the Winnipeg Jets who have a two-point lead.
Related: Grading the Coyotes’ 2023 Offseason Acquisitions
This is the first year the Coyotes have set their sights on being competitive after entering a rebuild when general manager (GM) Bill Armstrong took over back in 2020. Leading the way are some of his additions like Carcone who is the team leader in goals, Kerfoot, and Ingram who was recently named first star of the week in the entire NHL. However, some of the pre-Armstrong players have been vital too, like Keller and Schmaltz. They’re playing like a complete team from goaltending to offense to defense and it’s led them to a fantastic start to the season.
Most importantly, the team is having fun playing with each other. It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen the team play like this and they’re making sure to enjoy it together.
“Everything’s fun when you’re winning,” Schmaltz said. “We’re having a great time. We’re working for each other guys are blocking shots, and we’re up 6-0. You can tell guys care for each other. We want to do it for Iggy (Ingram) at the end there. He deserved a shutout. It’s pretty fun.”
The Coyotes will end their homestand on Thursday (Dec. 7) against the Philadelphia Flyers who are currently third in the Metropolitan Division.
