The Coyotes started the new year strong but have squandered it with a pair of back-to-back losses in which they were both shut out.
It's two crappy results, but then again, if you consider the injuries the team is going through and the quality of opponent (other than maybe Toronto-Pittsburgh that's about the toughest back-to-back you could have) it's not so bad.
The Coyotes are missing elite defender (still) Hjalmarsson and Vezina candidate Kuemper, as well as Barrett Hayton who is week to week with the separated shoulder he played through at his star-making World Junior appearance.
With a healthy lineup, the Coyotes will feature Hall, Kessel, Keller and Hayton, and suddenly won't have to worry about creating offense so much. If Kuemper - due back after the all-star game - continues his strong performance, the Coyotes will be a real contender.
Last night's game was costly as Annti Raanta mistakenly thought it was February second, looked at groundhog's shadow and was injured severely.
He left the game, but since it's the NHL we're tentatively sure it was some form of "body" injury, though upper or lower is a state secret.
Looks like Adin Hill will be manning the crease for a while. This might actually be a good thing, because if he proves capable the Coyotes might consider what the Oilers or Sharks might offer for Raanta.
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