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Coyotes Lose Pre-Season Opener

September 17, 2018, 8:22 PM ET [31 Comments]
James Tanner
Washington Capitals Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Coyotes lost their pre-season opener to division rival the Golden Knights last night in a blowout, 7-2.

There's really not much to say about this one, except that it's the pre-season and no one really cares what the score was.

If there is anything to take away from the game, it's that the Coyotes definitely need a healthy Annti Raanta if they are to be any good this year.

Raanta did not play last night, and it showed. The Golden Knights scored six times against Darcey Kuemper on 27 shots.

Aiden Hill played the third and allowed one goal on four shots.



Not too good!

Then again, the Coyotes didn't exactly dress a great team. Of their seven projected NHL defenseman, the only ones in the lineup last night were Jordan Oesterle and Kevin Connauton.

The two are competing for the #6 role on the team *barring any surprise rookie attacks on the position * and last night Oesterle played 23 minutes while KC played 22.

Oesterle did score a goal, so that's something.

The other Coyotes goal was scored by J. Gross who I just looked up and is actually Jordan Gross. He's a guy signed by the Coyotes last year, he is 23, undrafted and he played one AHL game and is a defenseman.

What would I do without the hockeydb.com?

Barrett Hayton played 14 minutes and did not record a shot. I don't know about how he did in the game, but he's unlikely to make the team, as are any rookies, really. The Coyotes' roster is pretty much locked down, and it would be surprising for any rookies to crack it.

To be honest, that's about as in depth as I'll ever go on a pre-season game. The season is long enough and no one really needs game recaps in the pre-season. It was, however, the first game, so it had a bit of interest. A bit!

I look forward to the team making some cuts tonight or tomorrow. But even more than that, I look forward to Alex Galchenyuk's debut with the team. I think he's going to have a big breakout season.

That's all for now.
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