ARIZONA COYOTES

Clayton Keller breaks Coyotes rookie points record in win over Sabres

Mar 21, 2018, 7:30 PM | Updated: 10:55 pm

Arizona Coyotes center Clayton Keller celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild during the sec...

Arizona Coyotes center Clayton Keller celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 17, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

For all that has gone wrong with the Arizona Coyotes this season, at least one thing has gone right.

The play of rookie Clayton Keller has added some optimism to the team’s future, as he adds a much-needed scoring boost to a forward group that has lacked offensive firepower.

Keller’s two assists in the Coyotes’ 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday brought his point total on the season to 55. That bests Peter Mueller’s 54 in the 2007-08 season that was the previous high tally for a Coyote in their rookie season.

The 19-year-old’s 35 assists are also a Coyotes rookie record.

The Coyotes got on the board early thanks to Dylan Strome on the power play. Strome’s shot off Sabres goaltender Chad Johnson made it 1-0 in the early first period.

After Buffalo would answer in the mid-first period, Derek Stepan scored the team’s second power play goal, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keller, to make it 2-1 in the late first period.

A scoreless second would be followed by Richard Panik’s 10th goal of the season in the third period, assisted by Stepan and Keller.

Max Domi’s empty-netter would seal a win that made it seven victories for the Coyotes in March, the team’s highest win total for a month with six games still remaining in March.

Keller’s scoring promise fills a hole that has been present for quite some time in Coyotes hockey. In this decade, the Coyotes have had only two instances of a player scoring at least 25 goals in a season. Shane Doan tallied 28 goals in the 2015-16 season and Radim Vrbata had 35 in the 2011-12 season.

The 55 points for Keller, in fact, tie the highest point total for a Coyote in the previous two seasons. Radim Vrbata had 55 points last season and Oliver Ekman-Larsson hit that same number the year prior.

If Keller was to record at least one point in the Coyotes’ nine remaining games, it would be the most points by a member of the Coyotes since the 2011-12 season, when Ray Whitney notched 77 points and Vrbata had 62.

Keller could very well hit 60 points, and that would make him only the 11th player in Coyotes history to do so. He would join Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick, Mike Gartner, Daymond Langkow, Daniel Briere, Mike Johnson, Mike Comrie, Whitney, Vrbata and Doan.

Not bad for a rookie.

Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller...

Associated Press

Clayton Keller becomes 2nd Coyotes player with 400 points in win over Devils

Karel Vejmelka stopped 37 shots and the Arizona Coyotes beat the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

2 days ago

Arizona Coyotes center Logan Cooley, right, is greeted by defenseman Travis Dermott (33) after scor...

Associated Press

Arizona Coyotes beat struggling Detroit Red Wings again

Logan Cooley had a short-handed goal in the first period, Michael Carcone broke a tie in the second and the Coyotes beat the Red Wings 4-1.

4 days ago

Arizona Coyotes CEO and president Xavier Gutierrez...

Associated Press

Arizona Coyotes cleared to bid on north Phoenix land for new arena

The Arizona Coyotes have the green light to bid on a tract of land in north Phoenix in their yearslong bid to build a new arena.

4 days ago

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Josh Brown, left, and Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi (23) compete for...

Associated Press

Penalty kill falters again, Coyotes lose to the Minnesota Wild

Nick Bjugstad had another goal against his hometown team but the Coyotes penalty kill couldn't contain the Minnesota Wild in a road loss.

6 days ago

Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller...

Associated Press

Coyotes’ Clayton Keller scores twice in loss to Blackhawks, Colin Blackwell delivers hat trick

Colin Blackwell got his first hat trick and Connor Bedard had two goals, leading the Blackhawks to a victory over the Coyotes.

8 days ago

Dylan Guenther #11 of the Arizona Coyotes warms up before the NHL game against the Boston Bruins at...

David Veenstra

Arizona Coyotes’ Dylan Guenther has water turned off after he doesn’t pay utility bill

Arizona Coyotes' Dylan Guenther and teammate Jack McBain had their water turned off this week after they did not pay their utility bill.

9 days ago

Clayton Keller breaks Coyotes rookie points record in win over Sabres