Coyotes Clash with Sharks at Mullett Arena in Tempe Showdown

As the Arizona Coyotes prepare to host the San Jose Sharks at Mullett Arena in Tempe, fans are eager to see if their team can turn around recent trends and capitalize on home-ice advantage. The upcoming game, scheduled for December 16th, promises to be an exciting matchup as both teams vie for a win.

The Coyotes have had a challenging stretch in their last few games. Despite scoring early against the Pittsburgh Penguins with two powerplay goals, they were unable to maintain their lead and ultimately lost 4-2. The team's performance was hindered by a low faceoff win percentage of just 38 percent and a minus-11 plus-minus rating overall.

In their encounter with the Buffalo Sabres, the Coyotes managed two goals but again fell short in faceoffs, winning only 42 percent of them. A late empty-net goal by the Sabres sealed Arizona's fate with a final score of 5-2 against them.

Their most recent game against the Boston Bruins showed some promise as they scored three times; however, goaltending proved to be an issue with only an 83 percent save rate leading to another loss of 5-3. Faceoffs continued to be problematic as they won just 30 percent.

Analyzing these performances reveals that while scoring isn't necessarily scarce for Arizona, defensive play and puck possession need improvement – particularly in faceoff scenarios which often dictate control of the game.

Mullett Arena will provide an intimate atmosphere that could boost the Coyotes' morale and energy levels. With supportive fans close to the action, it could be just what Arizona needs to refine their strategy and execution on ice.

Fans can catch this thrilling NHL action live on NBCS-CA or SCRIPPS networks or stream it via ESPN+ when these two teams hit the ice at Mullett Arena on December 16th at 7:00 PM local time (AZ).