Chicago Blackhawks vs. Arizona Coyotes Pick & Prediction MARCH 18th 2023
Seth Cohen
While their respective 2022-23 seasons have produced poor results for the most part, the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes can find some solace in a recent spell of good play that has produced wins.
Entering Saturday night's final meeting this season in Tempe, Ariz., both teams reside towards the bottom of the Western Conference's Central Division -- Arizona (26-32-11, 63 points) in seventh and Chicago (24-38-6, 54 points) in the cellar.
In three previous matchups, the Blackhawks have been victorious twice on home ice -- 2-0 behind a 22-save performance by goaltender Alex Stalock on Jan. 6 and 4-3 in overtime on Caleb Jones' game-winner on Feb. 10.
Stalock, who recorded his first shutout with Chicago in the January win, has provided a calming, veteran presence in the crease during the Blackhawks' two-game winning streak.
After missing both games due to a non-COVID illness in the Sunshine State against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the 35-year-old returned with a vengeance against the NHL-leading Boston Bruins and red-hot Nashville Predators.
In relief of Petr Mrazek, who reaggravated a groin injury in the middle of the second period, Stalock stopped 23 of 26 shots in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the league-leading Bruins.
He backed that up with a 35-save showing in Thursday night's 2-1 triumph over the Nashville Predators, who had won three straight and had earned points in six of seven games (5-1-1).
Stalock gave credit to his defense, saying it made point-producing Predators defenseman Roman Josi less of a factor than usual in the match.
"Our (defense) did a great job boxing out," said Stalock, who did allow the only tally to Josi with 25 seconds left and Nashville's net empty for the extra skater. "Our forwards eliminated some dangerous shooters. That might have been Josi's really only threat all night.
"To eliminate a guy like that from the game, it's a good job by our forwards staying on him and chasing him around the zone and staying between him and the net."
On Feb. 28 in the desert, the Coyotes earned a 4-1 win over Chicago. Travis Boyd, Jack McBain, Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz tallied as Arizona broke a two-game losing skid.
In his season debut on Mar. 9, Arizona goalie Ivan Prosvetov made 39 saves as the home side ousted Nashville 4-1.
Prosvetov allowed just two goals on 31 shots by visiting Vancouver in his second start this season Thursday night. Riding a five-game winning streak, the Canucks arrived in Arizona expecting to make it six, but Prosvetov, 24, turned back the Pacific Division club in a 3-2 win.
He improved to 2-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .958 save percentage since being recalled from the AHL Tucson Roadrunners this month.
In ending Vancouver's five-win run, the Coyotes were winners for the fifth straight time at home and are on a seven-game point streak overall (5-0-2).
"We've just got a lot of belief in each other right now," said Boyd, who scored twice in the win. "We've proven to ourselves that if we play the right way, any given night we can beat any given team. I think that's what you're seeing right now."
Second on the club with 21 goals, Schmaltz missed his third consecutive game with a lower-body injury.
--Field Level Media
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Arizona Coyotes Recap MAR 18TH 2023
Juuso Valimaki scored the go-ahead goal with 3:12 left as the streaking Arizona Coyotes won for the fourth straight time Saturday night, topping the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 in Tempe, Ariz.
With the game knotted at 2-all, Clayton Keller found Valimaki, who had two assists, wide open on the back door for the defenseman's third goal of the season and the game-winning tally.
Matias Maccelli's empty-netter -- his seventh marker -- put the game away with 39 seconds left.
Keller had a goal and two assists to extend his season-best point streak to eight games for Arizona (27-32-11, 65 points).
Barrett Hayton scored to move his point streak to a career-high seven outings while goaltender Ivan Prosvetov (3-0-0) stopped 32 shots.
Right winger Nick Schmaltz returned to the lineup after missing three games with a lower-body injury and had an assist.
The Coyotes have an eight-game point streak (6-0-2) and have won six straight at home, where they are 20-11-3 overall.
Jujhar Khaira and Caleb Jones scored goals for Chicago (24-39-6, 54 points), and goalie Alex Stalock made 17 saves.
Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, 20, made his NHL debut by skating 16:11 and finishing minus-1.
The Blackhawks are 3-7-1 in their past 11 games and lost for the first time in three games.
In the final meeting between the clubs in the 2022-23 campaign, it didn't take long for the visitors to assert themselves by scoring on their first shot.
With his skates on the blue line, defenseman Jarred Tinordi launched a shot toward Prosvetov. Serving as traffic out front, Khaira clipped the puck and sent it past the Russian goalie for his fourth goal of the season just 35 seconds in.
But late in the second period, Keller flipped a puck from above the left circle and Hayton redirected it, potting his 14th goal at 17:48.
In the third period on the power play, Chicago managed to break the tie on Prosvetov's equipment malfunction when Lukas Reichel rushed in on the goalie.
On the Reichel save, Prosvetov pushed off the near post and lost his right skate blade. Unable to keep his balance, he allowed Jones to score for the fourth time at 4:14.
However, Keller tied it when he found a loose puck and patiently roofed his 32nd marker less than two minutes later.
--Field Level Media