The Coyotes Are Rolling Now

Who knew that the cold climate of Canada would heat up the NHL's worst team?

In this instance, the term worst is measured by Bill Parcells' classic comment that you are what your record says you are.

After three straight wins in Ontario -- with the first of them getting a monkey off their backs -- the Arizona Coyotes have found themselves within three points of the Edmonton Oilers in their pursuit of elevating from worst to merely bad.

After their third overtime victory of the season -- in Ottawa, 3-2 -- the 'Yotes took their newfound momentum into the center of the hockey universe -- just ask them -- and snapped the Maple Leafs' six-game winning streak with a 4-1 show of force.

Dudes spent October and half of November trying in vain to stay in one piece. Now, they're relatively healthy, and their pillars are performing:

• Antti Raanta -- if Finns had to buy vowels, they'd go broke -- stopped 27 of 28 shots in TO, and some of them were spectacular;
• Niklas Hjalmarsson is now playing 19-20 minutes a game, and opponents' shot counts are down; and
• Oliver Ekman-Larsson is reminding everyone he's a star on the blueline.

Then there's Clayton Keller -- two more assists in this one -- who does not look like a 20-year-old rook.

Do know Arizona is still many pieces away from being a playoff contender. Their primary task is to stay relatively healthy enough to make opponents scrap for their points.

Speaking of, the Coyotes now return to the desert for a home stand against ...

• a stumbling San José,
• Pacific leaders Los Angeles, and
• upstart expansionists Las Vegas.

They actually might make it worthwhile for fans to make that jaunt to Glendale and have hope.