It's a big day for me as the Ghostbusters who control the NHL schedule have crossed the streams and sent us a gift from the heavens: The Arizona Coyotes and the Toronto Maple Leafs play each other.
It's my two favorite teams in a battle to the.......finish?
Should be a good time! One fourth of the Arizona Coyotes will take on the league's best roster.
We've got Kuemper vs Andersen and a whole lot of Coyotes in the press box.
With losses in four of their last six, the Coyotes have essentially been eliminated from playoff contention, but by Coyotes standards, keeping hope alive into February is a pretty big thing, since in recent years it's been pretty much over by November.
The Coyotes really can't be blamed for the mess that is this season, since they've suffered enough injuries, and stayed competitive regardless, to get a pass.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Coyotes should be looking to get assets for any expiring contracts, and make moves with an eye towards next year.
In addition to a fairly good roster (when healthy) the Coyotes have Barrett Hayton, who they drafted last year who is having an amazing season in the OHL. Drafted 5th overall despite being slightly under a point per game over 63 games, this year Hayton has matched last years totals in just 36 games.
Should the Coyotes luck into Jack Hughes, they'll have the rare opportunity to add a generational player to a team that is already pretty good, much like the Leafs did when they got Matthews and added him to a core that included Andersen, Kadri, Gardiner, Rielly, JVR and Bozak.
Tonight's game won't just feature the return of Auston Matthews to the Arizona area, it will feature the team with the blueprint the Coyotes are hoping to follow.