Coyotes start Antti Raanta in goal vs. Wild on Wednesday
Apr 14, 2021, 11:15 AM | Updated: 12:14 pm
Arizona Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta reacts after giving up a goal to Colorado Avalanche left wing Brandon Saad in the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Arizona Coyotes started Antti Raanta in goal Wednesday for an early road game against the Minnesota Wild.
Raanta hasn’t played since March 22 due to a lower body injury and has appeared in 11 games this year.
He’s gone 5-4-2 with a 3.20 goals against average and .913 save percentage.
Arizona (19-19-5) had turned to goalie Adin Hill for 10 straight games before Monday, when 22-year-old Ivan Prosvetov made his first career start in a 4-2 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche that gave the Coyotes their fourth loss in a row.
With that, the return of Raanta is a positive bit of news for the team fighting for a playoff spot. As of Wednesday morning, the Coyotes were a point out of the top-half of the Western Division standings.
Arizona starting goalie Darcy Kuemper has been out since March 8 due to a lower body injury, and Coyotes head coach Rich Tocchet said his return has been put off beyond Wednesday’s game and Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues due to a “little bit of a setback.”
“He’s trying his hardest to get himself ready,” Tocchet said before the game Wednesday.
The Coyotes’ game in Minnesota will be the last outing of a nine-game road schedule that began on March 31.
