Can the Arizona Coyotes Outmaneuver the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena?

As the Arizona Coyotes prepare to face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, fans are eager for insights into how their team might fare in this upcoming clash. The Coyotes' recent performances have been a mixed bag, but there's reason to believe they could pull off an upset against their Canadian counterparts.

In their last game on February 19th against the Colorado Avalanche, despite a loss with a final score of 4-3, there were positive takeaways for ARI. They managed to net three goals on 30 shots and demonstrated resilience by maintaining a powerplay goal conversion. However, they'll need to tighten up defensively as they allowed four goals and had a minus-10 plus-minus rating.

The game before that on February 17th saw ARI fall short against the Carolina Hurricanes with a score of 5-1. The Coyotes struggled in faceoffs, winning only 25 percent of them and giving away possession twelve times. This is an area where they must improve if they hope to control the game's pace against TOR.

However, it was not all doom and gloom for ARI; in their encounter with Minnesota Wild on February 15th, despite another loss (3-1), Arizona showcased some defensive prowess. They blocked an impressive number of shots (24) and had equal faceoff wins (50 percent). Their goaltender made an outstanding effort with 40 saves out of 43 shots faced.

The key takeaway from these past games is that while ARI has shown moments of strength – particularly in goaltending and shot-blocking – consistency is needed across all areas if they want to compete effectively with TOR. The Maple Leafs are known for their offensive firepower; hence ARI will need to leverage every opportunity presented during powerplays while also being vigilant during shorthanded situations.

Looking ahead at what could unfold when these two teams collide: If Arizona can capitalize on powerplay opportunities as seen previously and maintain strong goaltending performance while improving faceoff win percentages and puck possession time – there's potential for them to challenge Toronto significantly.

Fans should mark their calendars for March 1st when this exciting matchup will take place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto at midnight UTC (7 PM Eastern Time). For those unable to attend in person, you can catch all the action live via ESPN+ online or SCRIPPS TV network if you're cheering from away territory.