Arizona Coyotes need to protect Darcy Kuemper in Game 4
The Arizona Coyotes enter Game 4 with some confidence and an intent to help Darcy Kuemper.
It was difficult to watch the offensive assault perpetrated upon Arizona Coyotes goalkeeper Darcy Kuemper by the mighty Colorado Avalanche during the third period of Saturday’s Game 3 of their best-of-seven series.
The Avalanche pummeled Kuemper with shots from every angle and one shot of that sustained barrage found its way into the net. Thankfully, a third goal was not in the cards for Colorado, as number 35 in the black Kachina sweater closed the door.
The frustration was evident on the faces of the Avalanche players as Kuemper shut them down repeatedly, resulting in an awe-inspiring performance that even impressed the goalkeeper’s teammates.
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That scenario cannot repeat itself if the Coyotes hope to prolong their series with the talented Avalanche. The ‘Yotes’ offense needs to show up early in Game 4 and make a significant impact throughout the game to relieve some of the pressure exerted upon Darcy Kuemper and the Coyotes defensemen in Game 3.
As obvious as it is that the Arizona roster is simply not as good as the Colorado group, there’s no reason why the on-ice players cannot help defend and get the puck out and into the Colorado zone.
Heaven forbid, but if Kuemper goes down to injury, does the entire Coyotes team collapse into disarray because of one man? The team (and organization) simply cannot rely so much on a single player to carry them through, yet evidently that’s exactly what’s happening.
Following Game 3, the Coyotes players vowed to ease the burden on Darcy Kuemper and alleviate the pressure in the “D” zone collectively by getting the puck out quickly and effectively, and then stringing some passes together to retain possession in the Colorado zone, culminating in a quality shot on goal.
None of that will happen, however, if the Coyotes continue to commit mind-numbing penalties and allow the potent cadre of elite Colorado snipers to pepper Kuemper and force the undermanned “D” to skate around in circles or, worse yet, stand around due to exhaustion. Having to defend a power play also means that the Coyotes attackers are on the bench rather than on the ice to score the goals we sorely need.
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Hopefully the day of rest the Coyotes got over the weekend, along with the confidence they got with the win, will carry their momentum into Game 4 and beyond.