It’s been a long, hot summer and now it’s time to play some hockey! The Arizona Coyotes October 2019 schedule starts out the campaign on the road on Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks. By coincidence, they also ended their preseason with a loss in Anaheim 2-1.
The Coyotes will start out the new season with lots of determination to get to the playoffs which eluded them by just four points last season. They feel with the additions of Phil Kessel and Carl Soderberg they have improved their chances of playing in the postseason.
The only thing out of their control is staying healthy. Already there are concerns that Antti Raanta may not be ready for the season opener in Anaheim. Head coach Rick Tocchet has announced that he will know more about Rannta’s availability before their first game. So, that means that newly signed Darcy Kuemper will get the call in net.
Arizona Coyotes October 2019 Schedule
Here’s the schedule along with the Coyotes’ record against each team last season. The team plays six road games and six home games in October. The first four out of seven games will be at home, which could help the team get off to a better start. Then the next four of five games will be on the road. The predicted score (my accuracy is poor) will be included, but don’t hold me to it.
Anaheim Ducks (3-2)
The opening night against the Anaheim Ducks will be first up. The Coyotes took the series last season by a 3-2 margin. Two of the games went past regulation and Arizona won both games, one in a shootout and the other in overtime. It would be great if the Coyotes can start out the season with a victory. Slow starts have plagued them in the past. The Ducks without Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler are a different team.
Predicted score: Coyotes 3, Ducks 1
Boston Bruins (0-2)
This is the Coyotes home opener and all the excitement of fans being able to see Kessel, Soderberg and Barrett Hayton on home ice should pump the team-up. With the Boston Bruins in town, this should be close to a sellout. With all the hype and new players on the roster, the fans need to show up to support this team. Last season the Bruins took two one-goal wins and that needs to change. They are a very powerful team who went to the Stanley Cup Final last year, so beating them would be a feather in the cap of the Coyotes.
Predicted score: Bruins 4, Coyotes 2
Vegas Golden Knights (2-1-1)
The Vegas Golden Knights are in their third season and what was billed as a desert rivalry has really not materialized yet. The Golden Knights will come into Gila River Arena expecting to dominate them just as they have by winning six of the nine games played between the two Pacific division clubs. The Coyotes need to play a good defensive game in front of their goalie (probably Kuemper) and get ahead early. Vegas strikes fast and it’s hard to catch up to them… well unless you’re the San Jose Sharks.
Predicted score: Coyotes 3, Golden Knights 2 – Overtime
Colorado Avalanche (1-1-1)
The Colorado Avalanche are loaded. This home game is important also as the Coyotes need to get back at the Av’s who overtook them for the last wildcard spot last season in a close playoff race. How do you stop Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, or Gabriel Landeskog? You don’t… you just try to neutralize them. It won’t be easy and this will be Soderberg’s first game against his old team. Perhaps he’ll have some inside info on how to play the Av’s. This road game is big, aren’t they all?
Predicted score: Avalanche 5, Coyotes 2
Winnipeg Jets (1-2)
The Winnipeg Jets are a team going through some tough change of events involving their defence. They lost Jacob Trouba in a trade with the New York Rangers. Dustin Byfuglien will more than likely retire and they lost Tyler Myers to free agency. They managed to sign both Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor but still may not be the team they were in past seasons.
Predicted score: Coyotes 5, Jets 1
Nashville Predators (2-1)
The Nashville Predators are still a strong contending team, but can the loss of P.K. Subban be more than they anticipated? Certainly, the addition of Matt Duchene (who the Coyotes attempted to sign unsuccessfully) has got to help their offence. The other question is will Pekka Rinne still have it to keep this team in contention? The Coyotes played them tough last year and this is another home game which means they need to protect their home ice.
Predicted score: Predators 3, Coyotes 1
Ottawa Senators (2-0)
The Ottawa Senators should be an easy home win for the Desert Dogs. Let’s face it the Senators aren’t going anywhere and the Coyotes need to show them who the better team is.
Predicted score: Coyotes 6, Sens 2
New York Rangers (2-0)
The all-new New York Rangers host the Coyotes in the first game of a four-game road journey. The Coyotes remember this East coast trip since their failure to obtain just a single point pretty much eliminated their playoff chances last season. The Rangers have added some good talent with Jacob Trouba joining the blueline and Kappo Kakko the second overall pick helping on the forward line. But make no mistake about it, signing Artemi Panarin has got to help this team gain respectability.
Predicted score: Coyotes 4, Rangers 2
New York Islanders (0-2)
The New York Islanders attempt to duplicate their efforts of last season when they swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs. That was when they had Robin Lehner in the net and he kept them in most games. Instead, now the Islanders go with former Av’s goalie Semyon Varlamov who was less than exceptional last season. This is a game the Coyotes should win even though the Isles have the talented Mathew Barzal running around creating defensive nightmares.
Predicted score: Coyotes 4, Islanders 2
New Jersey Devils (0-0-2)
The New Jersey Devils are a completely upgraded team and that starts with the drafting of Jack Hughes. The Coyotes will get an up close idea of trying to contain the super talented Hughes. Not only did they add Hughes, but they also acquired a pretty solid offencive weapon in P.K. Subban on the blueline. They weren’t done and also added gifted Russian Nikita Gusev and tough guy Wayne Simmonds. The Coyotes will have their hands full with all that deep talent to contend with and it will show.
Predicted score: Devils 5, Coyotes 3
Buffalo Sabres (0-2)
The Buffalo Sabres are about the same team but did change head coaches. Ralph Krueger will do his best to get the Sabres going. They did add Marcus Johansson from the Boston Bruins and still have sharpshooting forwards Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner. Still, this team has struggled and with the Coyotes final game of a road trip who knows who wins this one. Oh yeah… I must choose.
Predicted score: Sabres 3, Coyotes 2 – Shootout
Montreal Canadiens (0-2)
The Montreal Canadiens were robbed of a playoff spot last season even though they obtained 96 points. This is a home game after a long road trip of four games in seven nights. Max Domi who was traded to the Canadiens from the Coyotes will be playing his ex-team. It turned out to be a trade won by the Montreal club with Domi collecting 28 goals and 72 points last season. Stopping Domi will be a key to winning this game.
Predicted score: Coyotes 2, Canadiens 1
Closing Remarks
The 2019-20 season will be an entertaining one with all eyes peeled to see if this team can finally obtain a playoff spot not seen since 2012.
They have the talent, they upgraded their offence, should have just as good a defence and the goaltending is solid. This team is hungry… and needs to go after each game like it’s a playoff game. They had a taste of playing with adversity being so short-handed last season with injuries to key players over a long period of time.
If my predictions hold any water (frozen or unfrozen) the Yotes would come out of October with 16 points in 12 games. That would show the rest of the league they are a quality team geared to being a postseason competitor.
Now sit back enjoy the 2019-20 Coyotes.
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