The Kids Are Alright In Arizona
While it is still very early in the 2015-16 NHL Campaign, Arizona has put the league on notice. They are on the verge of breaking through with a couple of young prospects leading the charge. They have taken one of the worst teams in the league, and breathed new life into it with performances that no one saw coming. At least, not yet.
At the forefront, are Max Domi and Anthony Duclair. The latter having announced himself on one of the biggest stages in the Coyotes match up, against the Western Conference finalist, the Anaheim Ducks. They call him ‘The Duke’, and if tonight was any indication, he will be at the top of every scouts list when they visit the desert.
News flash, the Yotes are now 3-0, and the teams they’ve beaten are some of the best the league has to offer…or at least that is what most thought before the season opened. Down went the LA Kings (4-1), Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1) and tonight, the Anaheim Ducks in a 4-0 rout.
In those games, Max Domi accounted for 2 goals and 2 assists, while Anthony Duclair registered 3 goals and an assist. At 20 years old, Duclair scored his first career hat trick against a team that is arguably the most physically imposing, and defensively dominant teams in the league, the Anaheim Ducks. If that is not reason enough to get excited, then Arizona needs to be checked for a pulse.
The pair scored all of the goals for the Yotes, and even chased goalie Anton Khudobin from the crease for the Ducks, with 3 goals in 12:53 of work. Frederik Andersen came in relief of Khudobin, and allowed Duclair’s final goal, thus completing the hat trick on Anaheim’s ice, no less.
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Knock, Knock
Of course, it is way too early to think that this will have any lasting impact on the Arizona Coyotes year end standings. It is absolutely not too early to start penciling them in for a reservation to the post season, sometime in the near future. This team is bursting with young talent, and unlike the Oilers with their recent lottery of draft picks falling flat in recent years, it seems the Coyotes have found the formula to get the most out of their young stars in the making.
It is also worth noting that goaltender Mike Smith has found his groove once again. He is a good goaltender in his own right, but so far this season he has taken it to another level. In three games, he has already faced 106 shots and stopped all but 2, while facing some very tough competition with a lot of highly skilled scorers in their collective arsenals.
The Coyotes were supposed to be building the team for the future, but it appears the future came knocking, and the Coyotes were all to happy to answer the door.