"There's Something Happening Here..."

"...what it is ain't exactly clear."

One of the anthems of my youth. And so appropriate for the undefeated, untied Phoenix Coyotes.

Who just shut out the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins tonight.

Not bad for dead men walking.

The 3-0 score is not indicative of how one-sided the game was. Ilya Bryzgalov will never have an easier shutout. The Coyotes defense completely shut down the Penguins and the offense converted two power plays and hit an empty net for all the goals necessary. The novice fan looking at tonight's game would wonder exactly who the Stanley Cup champions were. And on top of everything else, Petr Prucha's goal will be a highlight reel staple for this hockey season.

Well, let's not get too carried away. The Coyotes are off to a great start. A few weeks ago we suggested the homecoming would really be enhanced if the team could get 3 or 4 points in the three season opening road games. Well as of tonight, they have 4 in the bank and a chance to grab two more tomorrow night in Buffalo.

No matter what happens tomorrow, Saturday night is shaping up as an electric event. A win in Buffalo? It would be an incredible start to the season. And no matter what, the Job will be rocking on Saturday

"Stop children, what's that sound, everybody look what's going down".

It will be so cool for the entire hockey world to be looking squarely at Phoenix. Not for the "shenanigans" in court. But for the excitement on the ice. I can see (hear) it now...

"A thousand people in the street, singing songs and carrying signs, mostly say, hooray for our side..."

See you at the rink.

Prucha Re-ups for 2 Years

The Coyotes have signed left wing Petr Prucha to a 2 year contract. Prucha played for $1..6 million last year and likely would not have been qualified at that amount. It's expected he will receive less money in exchange for a two year commitment.

Prucha, who will turn 27 in September, had 2 goals and 8 assists in 19 games after joining the Coyotes at the trade deadline in the Derek Morris trade. In his four year NHL career, he has scored 65 goals including 30 in his rookie season in New York. Prucha is a quick energetic player who could be an nice asset for the Yotes if he can regain his goal scoring touch.

Importantly, this signing shows that GM Don Maloney has some latitude to sign players for more than one season. That's a promising sign.

Update: According to TSN, Prucha's contract is for $1.1 miilion per year.