TEMPE, Arizona. – The Coyotes closed out their 28-year tenure in Arizona as winners, getting a goal and an assist from Dylan Guenther in a 5-2 win over the team Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
The Coyotes made an early splash at Mullett Arena and finished strong in their final gamebefore moving to Salt Lake City.
Liam O'Brien started the final with a goal just under three minutes in and Sean Durzi scored an empty-net goal to send Coyotes fans home happy – at least for one last night. Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse also scored, and Connor Ingram had 25 saves for Arizona.
Sam Carrick and Warren Foegele scored for the Oilers in the playoff round. Calvin Pickard had 16 saves.
The Coyotes and their fans spent years hoping the relocation rumors wouldn't surface.
The rumors became reality this week when Alex Meruelo agreed to sell the hockey franchise to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, who intends to move the team to Salt Lake City.
The Coyotes franchise could be revived; Meruelo would have the right to field an expansion team if he could build a new arena within five years.
That makes Wednesday night's match a final one way or another and fans are already treating itlike a big partycreated unprecedented buzz during the Coyotes' three years at Mullett Arena.
The Coyotes felt the energy and fed up with it, opening with some big shots and O'Brien's goal at the 2:18 mark, bringing the cheering crowd to its feet.
The Oilers killed the noise by turning up the pressure and tying it to Carrick's converted goal midway through the first half.
Ingram made some tough saves and Maccelli brought the group back by scoring on a breakaway late in the second half, drawing a roar followed by chants of “Salt Lake sucks too!”
Crouse made it 3-1 by firing a backhand shot past Pickard early in the third period, but Foegele tied it with a shot from the foul line that hit Ingram toward the glove.
Guenther pushed the lead to two goals and Durzi led off a festive desert final after Edmonton pulled Pickard for an extra attacker.
