Arizona Coyotes become 1st NHL team to go 20 games into the season without a regulation win

There’s been a lot that’s happened since we last checked in on the Arizona Coyotes. For starters, the Coyotes won their first game of the season at the end of October, stopping an 11-game losing streak. Then, the Coyotes gained their second win just a few days later and things seemed marginally better at the time.

However, since the Coyotes got their first two wins of the year, the team has since gone on a five-game losing streak to put their record at 2-15-3 on the season with a paltry seven points in the standings. With their 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, the Coyotes now are the first NHL team to start their opening 20 games of the season without a regulation win.

Yes, both of Arizona’s wins this year have either come in overtime or the shootout. Points are points, to be fair, but going 20 games without a regulation win is a feat no one predicted for the Coyotes this year.

There’s honestly not much that’s gone right with the Coyotes this season. Early injuries to newly acquired netminder Antti Raanta put a rotation of Scott Wedgewood, Adin Hill, and Louis Domingue in charge of goaltending duties. While Domingue has since been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the four netminders combined have put up a .880 save percentage, putting them dead last in the NHL.

Things haven’t been great either since Raanta returned from injury. Since the start of November, Raanta has a .903 save percentage in six games played. At five-on-five, according to Corsica, the Coyotes also rank 30th in the league with a 3.2 GA/60. While the Coyotes overall need better goaltending, their defense has allowed the league’s most shots against this year at 651 across 20 games for an average of 32.55 a night.

Not to mention, the Coyotes are also having trouble producing on offense. Arizona has just 45 goals-for on the season, tied for fourth worst in the league. At even strength, the Coyotes have the fourth worst GF/60 at 2.01 behind the Penguins, Sharks, and Sabres.

On paper, the Coyotes shouldn’t be this bad with the roster they have. Rookie standout Clayton Keller has 17 points in 20 games and is currently the frontrunner for the Calder Trophy. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is an extremely solid No. 1 defenseman. The pickups of veterans in Niklas Hjalmarsson, Raanta, Jason Demers, and Derek Stepan should have bolstered their depth. Plus, while the core of Max Domi, Christian Dvorak, Anthony Duclair, and Tobias Rieder are young, they show extreme promise.

The Coyotes’ struggles this season don’t feel earned when looking at their roster. Sure, Arizona doesn’t have the makeup of a playoff team, but they’ve certainly deserved a better hand than what they’ve been dealt. While the Colorado Avalanche of last season felt like a bad team hitting their lowest point, the Coyotes of this year are a mediocre team in a rut where nothing has gone right.

It’s hard to win games when your offense doesn’t score, your defense isn’t protecting their zone like it should, and your goaltenders can’t stop pucks. By now, the Coyotes are well out of making a postseason push, but there’s still time to salvage this miserable season into something workable.