Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta embracing leadership role in contract year

Even after the early-season injuries, the scorpion infestation in his house, and the car accident on Loop 101, Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta has been loving life in Arizona since coming over from the New York Rangers via trade in June.

When healthy, Raanta has posted numbers that rival the best goaltenders in the Western Conference. Entering play Friday, Raanta was tied for fourth in the conference in goals-allowed average (2.53) and save percentage (.920) among goalies with a minimum of 30 games played.

What’s more is that, in the final season of his two-year contract, the 28-year-old backstop is beginning to take a leadership role on a youth-laden Coyotes team.

“We have lots of leaders in the group and sometimes there (are) new leaders emerging,” Raanta said. “There are times where you just do what you need to do. I think when you’re playing more, you can feel that leadership and you want to take action. You want to show the guys.”

The Finnish netminder displayed his leadership qualities on Thursday when, after the Coyotes allowed two third-period goals to the Canadiens to see their lead shrink to just a one-goal advantage, Raanta skated to the bench during a TV timeout and gave the players a piece of his mind.

“As a goalie, things always look a bit more dangerous than they might to other guys,” said Raanta, who made 34 saves in Thursday’s game. “When you’re leading a game 3-1, you don’t want to give them anything. In this league, one goal can change a lot, like we saw yesterday.

"I think we have lots of young guys here, so sometimes you need to say something even though it might not be perfect english. But guys will probably understand what I’m trying to say.”

Although Raanta didn’t think he was the reason, the Coyotes came out of the timeout and scored twice more in the third period to cap a 5-2 win over the Canadiens, their third straight win and fifth straight game registering at least one point.

But the Coyotes will soon have to make a decision on how much they need the services of their starting goaltender — as Raanta’s contract is set to expire after season, making him an unrestricted free agent.

There is also the possibility of Arizona moving him at the Feb. 26 trade deadline to avoid losing his services without receiving compensation after the season. Whether or not Raanta would be willing to re-sign with the Coyotes in free agency is still up in the air.

Coyotes first-year head coach Rick Tocchet said he’s seen the goaltender playing with more of an edge in recent weeks.

“I’ve seen a major change in him in the sense that — and I’ve said it before — he’s got a bite to his game,” Tocchet said. “He wants to win and he wants to be Number 1. When the season started and he got hurt, I’m not sure where he was at. Now … he’s (got) all the attributes to be a good goalie in this league. He wants to be in the net, so I love the fact that he’s got a little bit of a bite to him.”

The idea of being “number one,” as Tocchet put it, is a new concept for Raanta, who spent the first four seasons of his career backing up Corey Crawford (Blackhawks, 2013-15) and Henrik Lundqvist (Rangers, 2015-17).

Raanta is in his first season as a starting goaltender. In a lot of ways, he’s learning just as much as the Coyotes’ many rookie forwards. Raanta said he’s beginning to understand his role and take action where he might not have been able to in previous years.

“When you’re backing up those big names, you just try to concentrate on your own thing,” Raanta said of how his role has changed with the Coyotes. “You kind of need to earn that, but it’s not like you need to do it every game and at every TV timeout. … I just felt that yesterday was the time to try and say something.”

Tocchet said Raanta brings an intangible that the Coyotes need — holding others accountable.

“Yeah, he took (charge) last game,” Tocchet said of Raanta’s message to the players on Thursday. “Guys were sleeping a little bit, and he came to the bench and barked at a few guys. Next thing you know, we win 5-2. There is some correlation to having your peers making themselves accountable. We need that on this team and he’s willing to do that.”

But it’s been anything but easy going for Raanta during his first season in Arizona.

He’s lost 17 games due to two separate trips to injured reserve, a house due to a scorpion infestation (he moved), and a car that’s still in the shop due to a rear-end collision.

"I'll let you guys know when the next calamity happens," Raanta joked.

Still, the first-year Coyotes netminder has enjoyed the journey this season.

“I think we have lots of young guys but you can see how much they’ve grown since September to now,” Raanta said. “It’s just great to be a part of that and see how they look more competitive on the ice, and it’s fun to be around and fun to be playing when the guys are starting to figure out what it takes to win these games.”

Still, even with his future with the Coyotes in a state of uncertainty, Raanta continues to view his time in Arizona in a positive light.

“The weather is awesome and you get used to the sun so quickly,” Raanta said. “It’s kind of calm and quiet when you go outside the rink and you don’t need to think too much about hockey when you’re off the ice. It feels a little bit like home.

“And when you get the wins here, you’re just loving it even more.”

MORE: Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet: 'Our playoffs are right now'

Saturday’s game

Oilers at Coyotes

When: 2 p.m.

Where: Gila River Arena.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Arizona/KMVP-FM (98.7).

Outlook: On the heels of three straight wins, the Arizona Coyotes (16-32-10) continue a seven-game homestand and will try to increase their point streak to six games when they host the Edmonton Oilers (23-29-4) on Saturday afternoon at Gila River Arena. … The Oilers have lost five straight games, three straight on the road and seven of 10 overall … Since Jan. 1, the Oilers are tied for the fewest points in the NHL with 13, having gone 6-10-1 over that span; the Coyotes have the 11th most points in the Western Conference over that span with 19 … This is the third of four meetings between the teams this season, with the Oilers having notched victories on Nov. 28 (3-2 at Edmonton) and Jan. 12 (4-2 at Arizona); the teams will play their fourth and final game on March 5 at Edmonton … The Oilers are led in scoring by forwards Connor McDavid (23 goals, 43 assists) and Leon Draisaitl (17 goals, 33 assists) … Starting goaltender Cam Talbot (19-21-0, 3.20 GAA) is expected between the pipes for Edmonton.