March 22, 2022 | 7:00 PM AZ Time | Gila River Arena
TV: Bally Sports Arizona | Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM/KHOV 105.1 FM
The Arizona Coyotes are back home for a Tuesday night (March 22) matchup with the Seattle Kraken. The game is the third of three contests this season between the clubs, with Arizona capturing the previous two. Puck drop with the Kraken is scheduled for 7 p.m.
PACK FACTS
The Coyotes will be going for the season sweep of the Kraken tonight after beating them 5-4 on Nov. 6 at home and 5-2 on Feb. 9 in Seattle. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets are the only franchises the Coyotes’ franchise has started off 3-0 all-time against.
Arizona has posted five goals in each of their first two games against the Kraken. Seattle is the only franchise that the Coyotes/Jets have scored five goals in each of their first two games against. The most goals the Coyotes’ franchise has registered in their first three games against an organization is Ottawa (18).
Nick Schmaltz picked up two goals in the last matchup on Feb. 9, the first time he’s faced Seattle in his career. Lawson Crouse has also tallied a two-goal game against the Kraken, with his coming in the Nov. 6 game – his first career multi-goal game.
Crouse, who was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week on Monday, enters Tuesday with seven points (5-2-7) in his last four showings as well as 10 points (6-4-10) in his last eight games. Last week, every game he found the scoresheet ended up being a multi-point outing, highlighted by his hat trick on March 14 at Ottawa.
TRADE DEALINE RECAP
The Coyotes acquired the rights to four new players and exchanged future draft picks and considerations, the result of six deals leading up to the trade deadline.
Arizona acquired a pair of draft picks in two separate deals: A conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2023 from Dallas in exchange for goaltender Scott Wedgewood and a 2023 third-round pick from Washington in exchange for forward Johan Larsson.
Arizona acquired the rights to forward Jack McBain, who recently completed his fourth collegiate season at the NCAA’s Boston College, from Minnesota in exchange for a 2022 second-round draft pick that was originally owned by Vancouver. McBain registered a team-leading 33 points (19-14-33) with the Eagles this season and was named a Hockey East Second-Team All-Star in 2021-22.
The Coyotes also acquired the rights to forward Nathan Smith, who plays collegiately at the NCAA’s Minnesota State, from Winnipeg in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round draft choice. Smith, a 2022 Hobey Baker Finalist, enters the 2022 NCAA Tournament with 18-31-49 in 34 games played so far with the Mavericks. In the same deal, the Coyotes added Bryan Little, who is expected to spend the remainder of his contract on Injured Reserve.
Arizona also picked up goaltender Harri Sateri off Waivers from Toronto and traded forward Riley Nash to Tampa Bay in exchange for future considerations. Sateri is playing for the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirsk. He also went 5-0-0 with a shutout, a .962 SV% and 1.00 GAA to help Team Finland win gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The Coyotes currently have a combined 20 draft picks for the 2022 and 2023 NHL Entry Drafts, including three first-round picks (ARI, CAR, COL) and four second-round picks (ARI, NYI, PHI, SJS) in 2022. As it stands now, the most selections ever made within the first two rounds of an NHL Entry Draft was Montreal making seven selections (five firsts and two seconds) in 1974.
A LOOK AT THE KRAKEN
Seattle (19-38-6, 44 pts) will also be playing in its first game since the NHL’s Trade Deadline. Yanni Gourde paces the club in scoring with 38 points (16-22-38) and enters Tuesday with a six-game point streak as well as a three-game goal streak. Vince Dunn enters with a four-game point streak himself and has taken over the team lead in points among defensemen with 26 (7-19-26). The Kraken are beginning a three-game road trip and are 8-20-3 away from Climate Pledge Arena this season.
MILESTONES TO WATCH
Alex Galchenyuk: One point from 350 career NHL points.
Phil Kessel: Two goals from 400 career NHL goals.
Phil Kessel: One multi-assist game from 100 career NHL multi-assist games.
KEY CONNECTIONS
Ex-Coyotes
• None
Ex-Kraken
• None
Lawson Crouse played for Paul McFarland on the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs from 2014-16.
Shayne Gostisbehere played for Dave Hakstol while with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2015-19.
Phil Kessel played with Jamie Oleksiak (2017-19), Riley Sheahan (2017-19) and Jared McCann (2018-19) in Pittsburgh.
Josef Korenar was teammates with Ryan Donato in San Jose for part of 2020-21.
Nick Ritchie skated with Karson Kuhlman in Boston over parts of the 2019-21 seasons.
Nick Schmaltz played for Dave Hakstol at Univ. of North Dakota in 2014-15… Won a bronze medal with Ryan Donato and Will Borgen on Team USA at the 2016 World Junior Championship.
Anton Stralman played with Yanni Gourde in Tampa Bay from 2015-19…Was teammates with Chris Driedger (2019-21) and Alexander Wennberg (2020-21) in Florida.