For Coyotes, a step forward could begin with Antti Raanta’s adjustments

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Antti Raanta knows pressure is inevitable – and that’s OK.

He acknowledged as much when the Arizona Coyotes reported to training camp last week, reminding a throng of reporters that the starting netminder always gets the most pressure. But he also said he welcomes that weight, because “I’m better when the games are meaning more.”

That quality might come in handy this year.

It would be dishonest to suggest that Raanta will be anything less than a critical factor in the Coyotes’ chances for success in 2018-19 – as is the case for any team’s starting goaltender. When Raanta was healthy down the stretch last season, the Coyotes went as he did. He posted a record of 21-17-6, a much better mark than the team’s overall 29-41-12 record, in part because Raanta only appeared in 47 games.

Head coach Rick Tocchet said Raanta played a “huge” part in the Coyotes’ 20-14-7 finish, a period in which Raanta was 16-6-4 and had a .942 save percentage.

“I think any team that wants to compete and win a Stanley Cup, you have to have goaltending,” Tocchet said. “You look at last year, the teams that went far, their goaltender was the star of their team. So you can’t put too much pressure on a guy, ‘Raants’ can only stop what he can see. But he did a nice job for us to give us some confidence. And our D, when they’re healthy, they were the heartbeat of our team, the D and the goaltender.”

Raanta had the highest save percentage in the NHL (.930) among goalies who played as many or more games than he did. Only Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights had a better goals against average.

“Our whole goaltending rotation I think was huge at the end of the year,” defenseman Jason Demers said. “It’s the reason why we did so well. Obviously we started playing the right way but they were making the saves we needed them to make and they battled for us, and I think it’s very optimistic for us coming into this year.”

The trick was staying on the ice.

Ironically, despite multiple injuries, he set a career high in appearances. This was because it was his first season as a starting netminder, having served as a backup for the Rangers and Blackhawks previously.

“I think I figured out at the end of the year what I need to kind of do to kind of keep my head fresh and the whole body fresh,” he said.

Tocchet said Raanta’s renewed approach began in the second half of last season, when the Coyotes started winning, and continued into the offseason. He said his goaltender would be excited to see the results of what he’s been working on.

“We sat down with our strength coach and we wanted to make sure we’re doing all the right things,” Raanta said. “It meant that we needed to change some things in the offseason things and I think how the summer went by and how all the results came in, it’s looking really good and on the ice, it feels good to be on the ice.”

In the offseason, Raanta spent less time focusing on flexibility, since he said he felt like he had always been pretty flexible already. His goal was to build more muscle, doing so in his groins, hamstrings, glutes and core.

“You don’t have to be splits all the time on the ice, so you could easily take a little bit off from flexibility,” he said. “But for me, that was kind of the biggest thing, to get more muscle through the legs and core.

“And obviously it’s never too bad thing to get a little upper body but I don’t have to be without shirt all of the time like [Michael Grabner].”

The biggest work is done in May, June and July, Raanta said. The fruits of that labor will be whether Raanta has adjusted to a greater share of games each season now as a starter.

“I love playing more,” he said. “I just love the challenge, what every team brings to you and there’s going to be different games. It’s just fun to have that kind of pressure on you.

“I think it’s easier to play more games. When you’re sitting playing one game here or there, it’s a lot of thinking and a lot of you worrying about things, what might never happen. When you play lots of games, you go out there, you play a game, you watch a little bit of tape after the games and you go for the next game.”

The Coyotes gave Raanta what he called a “trust statement” when they signed him to a three-year contract extension at a $4.25 million average annual value.

How he plays this year – and how his adjustments affect his ability and durability – will determine the team’s return on investment. And beyond that, it could mean the difference between feast and famine for the Coyotes.

Of course, there’s more to the picture than just him.

“You need five guys in front of you to make the right things,” Raanta said. “And sometimes there’s going to be missed plays, but that’s why the goalies there – to try to save the day.”

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