The Arizona Coyotes announced that their starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper suffered a lower-body injury in the their game last night against the Minnesota Wild. The Coyotes also suffered a loss in the game by a score of 8-5. The team announced the news on their twitter page.
INJURY UPDATE: #Yotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper suffered a lower body injury last night versus Minnesota. He is listed as week to week.
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) December 20, 2019
Darcy Kuemper Suffers Lower-Body Injury
Kuemper who was shelled in the last two periods was helped off the ice with 3:08 in the third period. He attempted to stop a shot by the Wild’s Ryan Hartman using a butterfly move and must have stretched a muscle causing the injury. It’s hoped that it isn’t a groin injury, but with the team stating he is week-to-week it seems somewhat severe.
Kuemper had been playing well this season with a 15-8-2 record. His .929 save percentage along with 2.17 goals against average rank him fourth in the NHL. He carries a career 95-69-29 record. His career save percentage is .918, and he has a 2.46 goal against average. He also has 18 career shutouts to add to his resume.
What This Means For the Future
Obviously when a team loses their starting goalie they can expect their level of play to decrease. That’s not quite true for the Coyotes, who also have a goalie by the name of Antti Raanta who has been a starter in his career. He has a 5-5-2 record this season with a .919 save percentage and a 2.72 goals against average. He also has one shutout to his credit.
While the Arizona club may miss Kuemper, they can be assured that Raanta can skillfully fill the void. The extent of Kuemper’s injury has not been disclosed yet, but Raanta is up for the challenge. The team recently recalled Adin Hill from the AHL Tucson Roadrunners, so he will be Raanta’s backup.
The Coyotes are fighting for first place in the Pacific Division, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights with 44 points. It’s now up to Raanta to keep them competitive in the net.
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