The ever pressing issue of keeping backup goalie Antti Raanta of the Arizona Coyotes healthy is happening again. He was not able to go in the first game of a four-game road trip against the Boston Bruins, per head coach Rick Tocchet.
Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said that goalie Antti Raanta missed the game because of a lower-body injury. He is day to day. Lather, rinse, repeat.
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) February 8, 2020
Antti Raanta Injured Again
The Coyotes really need to keep two goalies healthy and of late… that is just not happening. Darcy Kuemper may be back soon, but Raanta is hurt again. Getting Kuemper back would be huge, and what better time than on a four-game road trip?
Adin Hill filled in for today’s game, but it’s clear that if Kuemper is ready to go, Raanta will not be the backup. Whatever his injury is all about, it keeps coming back to haunt the team and their readiness in net.
Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said that Darcy Kuemper is expected to practice tomorrow with the team in Montreal. If he feels good afterward, they are hoping for some good news. In other words, there is a chance he could play against the Canadiens.
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) February 8, 2020
Ranta has a 10-12-3 record this season with a .915 save percentage and a 2.86 goals against average. Since being with the Coyotes he has a 36-35-9 record and a .922 save percentage, and carries a 2.52 goals against average. His career stats are much better. He has collected a 83-58-18 record with a .920 save percentage and a 2.42 goals against average.
What This Means Going Forward
It appears that Kuemper may be ready to go against the Montreal Canadiens on February 10th. Hill can be the backup but it may be time to figure out what Raanta’s continuous lower-body issue is and fix it. He missed most of last season and it was thought that he’d be ready to go this season. Otherwise the team needs to address his future with the team.
This is certainly not good timing for Raanta to fail to be physically ready, especially when Kuemper has been down with his own lower-body injury concerns. The Coyotes are fighting for their playoff lives and the injuries are catching up to them almost as drastically as last season.
They are still without Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jason Demers (week-to-week), although OEL may be able to step in soon as he traveled with team on the road trip.
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