Maple Leafs Overcome Coyotes at Mullett Arena in High-Scoring Affair
The Arizona Coyotes, with a record of 20-31-6, faced off against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who came into the game with a 37-17-3 record. The final score read 6-3 in favor of the visiting team.
At Mullett Arena, home to the Coyotes, fans witnessed an intense matchup that saw their team put up a valiant effort. Despite falling behind early without scoring in the first period while allowing three goals to Toronto, Arizona rallied back in the second period with three goals of their own to even out the playing field momentarily.
Arizona's resilience was on full display as they managed to notch one powerplay goal out of three opportunities and fired off seven shots during those man advantages. Their shooting percentage for powerplays stood at an impressive 14 percent. Even strength play also saw success with two goals on eighteen shots; however, it was not enough to counteract Toronto's offensive push.
The Coyotes' goaltender had a busy night facing thirty-six shots and making thirty saves throughout the game. His efforts were commendable but ultimately overshadowed by Toronto's six-goal onslaught which included two powerplay goals from five chances.
Offensively for Arizona, five assists were distributed among players contributing to their total eight points earned during this contest. The team showed physical dominance by delivering thirty-five hits compared to Toronto's twenty-one and blocked thirteen shots defensively.
Despite these efforts and maintaining possession through faceoffs nearly half of the time (48 percent), giveaways proved costly for Arizona as they recorded eight compared to just two by Toronto. Additionally, penalties seemed slightly more frequent for Arizona who spent fourteen minutes in penalty time over six infractions while their opponents sat out ten minutes across five penalties.
Looking ahead after this hard-fought battle at home soil against formidable opponents from Canada’s largest city, fans can catch The Coyotes next when they visit Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on February 25th at 5:00 PM Mountain Time. This upcoming game will be available nationally via ESPN+ online platform and regionally on SCRIPPS television network for those following away from home.