Arizona Coyotes' Christian Dvorak Shined Against Ducks
Arizona Coyotes prospects comprised much of the lineup in Saturday night’s pre-season game against the Anaheim Ducks, but none shined as brightly as Christian Dvorak.
The Arizona Coyotes were back at Gila River Arena on Saturday night to face the Ducks.
Fans witnessed a stunning game filled with hits, fights, goals, and a win, as the Coyotes beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-to-2 in sudden death overtime.
It didn’t start out well.
Anaheim scored quickly on a shot from the outside that appeared to screen starting goaltender Mike Smith. That put Arizona in a hole early, but the team didn’t show any signs of letting up, and soon they were back in it.
But this is preseason, and the real story of the game, in addition to the impressive defensive prowess of Jakob Chychrun, was the play of forward prospect Christian Dvorak.
He’s been widely expected to make the Arizona Coyotes roster after getting some additional seasoning in the minors last year. He showed why he should be a Coyote last night.
Dvorak played on a line with wingers Max Domi and Anthony Duclair during the contest, and the trio looked magical.
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Duclair and Domi picked up right where they left off last season, with tantalizing passes that appeared to show they still share the same brain. Throughout the game this line performed well and took it to the Anaheim defense.
Dvorak mixed it up with the Ducks and exhibited why he belongs at the NHL level.
He delivered crisp passes and showed a good sense of situational hockey in terms of where to be, where to go, and when to be there.
He also could keep up with the Killer D’s, and indeed played a role in enabling opportunities. The group was consistently entertaining to watch.
But this wasn’t Dvorak’s only contribution.
Dvorak was initially paired with Shane Doan and Jakob Chychrun to begin the extra period. This came about after fellow prospect Dylan Strome equaled the score with about eight minutes left in the game.
As the seconds ticked down in the five-minute extra period, Dvorak had another chance on the ice.
Just after Laurent Dauphin, who has played well this preseason, almost ended the game on his own breakaway, Dvorak managed to find himself with his own opportunity. One-on-one with Anaheim goaltender Jonathan Bernier, he nearly squeaked one through for the win.
It was close.
Despite the stop on the play, he managed to draw a slashing penalty from former Coyote Antoine Vermette, and this set-up a power play.
4-on-3 overtime power plays are a treat to watch, and this was no exception.
Seconds later, Dvorak fed Doan with a fantastic pass, who proceeded to bury it for the win.
Dvorak didn’t score. He didn’t break any records or punch anyone in the face (that was left to Jamie McGinn and Max Domi.)
But he did make the little differences in the game. He did his job. He skated with intensity.
He showed why he absolutely deserves to be announced with the other Arizona Coyotes players on opening night on October 15th.
If he keeps this up, he’s a lock to be there.
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