The Coyotes shut-out one of the NHL's best offensive teams last night, 3-0.
Their goaltending is out of this world, and it's time to ask if there has ever been a more under appreciated player in the history of sports than Darcy Kuemper.
The Coyotes were not particularly great last night, OK in the first, brutal in the second, slightly less brutal in the third.
The Coyotes had a 22% puck possession rating in the second period. They were outshot 11-3 and outchanced 8-0.
But Darcy Kuemper is an honorable man, and he allowed goals zero.
He is second - which is ridiculous - in the NHL with a .942 save percentage. That number is overall, and includes power-plays.
He is crazy.
He has allowed 15 goals in 9 games.
And he's made the trade of Annti Raanta a near certainty.
Raanta might not be able to bring in a high price, due to his injury troubles, but when he's healthy he's one of the best goalies in the world.
It's just, we're in the reality where Darcy Kuemper might actually be the best goalie on earth. It sounds crazy, but what is crazy when an illiterate traitor is the oh wait nevermind.
Point made. (I was going to say best actor in the world, but they don't want me talking about Hollywood).
The fact is, a first rounder and Annti Raanta might just get you the scorer you need. Maybe that scorer is a struggling superstar on a team with a bad GM and a desperate need for a goalie.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: get Timo Meire.
As an aside, I liked that the Coyotes tried something new last night: Barratt Hayton with Kessel and Dvorak.
Only problem: to do that, they had to break up one of the best lines in hockey (Kessel, Stapan, Keller) which was rocking, just not getting the results they deserved.
This new line was about a 40% line last night, so not too good. But of course, the actual results (Kessel had 2 points, Dvorak had a goal, and Hayton an assist) will probably keep it together.
It's a cool line, I'd like to give it some more time, it's just that Keller-Stepan-Kessel was going to go off eventually.
I also love the new line of Schmaltz, Keller, Garland. In my biggest fantasy, NHL coach decide defense is for loser and make lines like this all the time. When all three of them were on the ice together they were a 61% line in a game where the team otherwise got dusted, so I like it.
Bottom line: Darcy Kuemper may have potentially sold his soul to the Devil, and all I can say is that it worked for Robert Johnson. I haven't seen a guy in his late 20s ascend to the pinnacle of his sport since Jose Bautista. This is something to watch.