The Arizona Coyotes (7-6-1) continue their five-game roadtrip as they face the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars (10-3-1) at American Airlines Center in Texas tonight at 6 p.m. MST.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Earlier, the Coyotes scratched and clawed their way to a 7-5 victory over the Nashville Predators on Nov. 11 as they currently sit fifth in the division with 15 points.
Meanwhile, Dallas are arguably one of the hottest teams in the league as they have won three-straight contests.
Following a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and a 3-2 result versus the Winnipeg Jets, the Stars traveled to Minnesota and dismantled the Wild 8-3 on Nov. 12
Last season, Dallas finished 47-21-14 and collected 108 points which was good for second in the Western Conference and fourth-best in the NHL.
Furthermore, the Stars went all the way to the Western Conference Final, but eventually lost to the 2022-23 Stanley Cup Champions in the Vegas Golden Knights with the best-of-7 series going 4-2.
With that all being said, Arizona have a difficult challenge ahead of them as they try to takedown a division foe in the Stars tonight.
Here is all you need to know before puck-drop in the “Lone Star State.”
Pregame Notes
While in “Smashville,” Coyotes star Clayton Keller scored a goal and picked up two assists in the 12-goal thriller against the Predators.
Additionally, that three-point night gave Keller 6 goals and 9 assists this season and also the team-lead in points with 15 in 14 games.
So far this season, Arizona head coach André Tourigny has split starts between goaltenders Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram at a 50/50 rate.
Since Ingram played against Nashville, Vejmelka is expected to get the nod for tonight’s matchup.
On the other side, former Coyote goaltender Scott Wedgewood will not start for Dallas.
After saving 31 shots from 33 attempts against the Jets on Nov. 11, Wedgewood will be the backup for Jake Oettinger, according to multiple reports.
As for scoring, the Stars have three players tied for the points lead on their team with left wing Jason Robertson, forward Joe Pavelski and center Wyatt Johnston all recording 13.
In his second NHL season, Johnston has the most goals on Dallas with 7 while tacking on 6 assists.
Robertson scored 5 goals and assisted 8 times before this evening, but is not on pace to match his remarkable campaign in 2022-23.
Previously, Robertson had 46 goals and 63 assists for 109 points in all-82 games last year as he was named an NHL All-Star.
Arizona will be without center Jack McBain (lower body) and defenseman Travis Dermott (upper body) as they are both out on injured reserve and their timetables are listed as “week-to-week.”
In contrast, Dallas defenseman Thomas Harley (upper body) will not play tonight either.
History
The Coyotes were 0-4 against the Stars last season.
At Mullett Arena, Robertson had two goals as Dallas crushed Arizona 7-2 on Nov. 3, 2022.
Then, the Stars blanked the ‘Yotes 4-0 on Jan. 21 as Oettinger recorded a 33-save shutout in Texas.
Also, Dallas center Tyler Seguin’s two goals and one assist propelled his team to a 4-2 win over Arizona on Mar. 1.
Wrapping up the four-game series last regular season, Robertson put up a goal and three assists in a Stars 5-2 victory in Tempe.
While in preseason, the Coyotes lost 7-0 to Dallas on Sept. 24, but the Stars had half of their NHL lineup up against Arizona’s minor leaguers and prospects.
Arizona Coyotes TV Viewership Skyrocketed Since Leaving Bally Sports
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HEREÂ to unlock our premium content!*
Alec Cipollini is the lead reporter of the Arizona Coyotes and Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
