Give credit to the organization. Somehow, some way, the Coyotes figured out not only a way to fill the building on Saturday but they also created a compelling story that grabbed a great deal of fan and media attention. For one night, the Job was an exciting and electric place.
Unfortunately, there was no happy ending.
The Coyotes outshot the BJs 36-19 but the volume of shots is a little misleading. The Yotes' didn't have that many good scoring opportunities and Columbus goaltender Mattheu Garon only had to make a handful of quality saves.
A far more telling number was the team's 0-7 on the power play, including two failed 5 on 3s. The home team simply could not break through against a very good Columbus team. Ed Jovanoski was indecisive all night and the Blue Jackets defense did a good job clearing the front of the net.I know the words "very good team" and Columbus are relatively new when used together but the BJs are well coached, very responsible defensively and a very formidable opponent. In some ways, they are what the Coyotes will have to become this year to be successful.
And Columbus has Rick Nash, he of the game winning goal and a commensurate offensive star. Something the Coyotes desperately lack.
To paraphrase Dennis Green, the Coyotes are what we thought they are. Goals will be tough to come by. The team will rely on tight checking and defense and hope that the goaltending continues to come up big. So far so good in the nets.
Now comes the hard part.
Thursday night games in October haven't been very good draws. St. Louis is a good young team but doesn't have the cache of the next two home opponents; Boston and Detroit. It will be quiet at the arena on Thursday.
And the schedule doesn't get any easier. San Jose tonight, St. Louis Thursday, the big, bad Bruins on Saturday and Detroit next Thursday. It's a tough stretch. But it also gives the Coyotes a chance to catch some teams on their first long trip of the season.
The Coyotes need to stay true to Coach Dave Tippett's game plan. The team has allowed 7 goals in 4 games (and are pitching a shutout tonight vs. the Sharks as we write this piece) That kind of defense will win a lot of games. As much as we enjoyed the opening game in Los Angeles (and the Coyotes are the only team to beat the Kings so far this year) the hard truth is that there aren't going to be a lot of 6-3 games involving Phoenix this year.
Get used to low scoring games with tight checking, lots of discipline and (one hopes) outstanding goaltending. That's this year's formula for success. And there is no other options available.
Stupid Newspaper Tricks
According to today's Repulsive, defenseman Kurt Sauer (upper body) remains day to day.
Of course, the same paper reported last week that he was undergoing tests on Friday for headaches.
I guess that's an upper body injury but it certainly was disclosed. The Coyotes reporters would do well to read the paper. Their own.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Hockey In The Desert?
As the rinkside reporter for Fox Sports Arizona, Todd Walsh brings great imagination and thoughtfulness to his work. On opening night, he filed a great piece about hockey in Phoenix. If you haven't seen it, you should watch. If you have friends, bloggers or other contacts around who doubt whether the Coyotes can succeed and thrive in the desert, be sure to forward this link to them.
If you haven't seen "Hockey In The Desert", click on the headline above and go to the Coyotes TV page. On the right hand column, look for 10/06/09 - The Coyotes A Look Back. It's a well done piece that speaks volumes about the viability of hockey in Phoenix.
If you haven't seen "Hockey In The Desert", click on the headline above and go to the Coyotes TV page. On the right hand column, look for 10/06/09 - The Coyotes A Look Back. It's a well done piece that speaks volumes about the viability of hockey in Phoenix.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
"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.
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.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Coyotes Crown Kings 6-3 (I always wanted to write that headline)
In many ways, Saturday night's 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings was a statement game for the Coyotes.
For starters, it was a statement that the focus of the franchise is now back where it belongs, on the ice.
It was also a statement that there has been a lot of changes on this team, from a revamped coaching staff to a reworked lineup.
Perhaps most importantly, it turned into a statement that we've got a pretty good hockey team here. Hopefully, that will get some people to sit up and take notice.
A graphic flashed up at the start of the game reminded how much the team had changed (and improved) since the end of last season. 7 skaters gone (Rupprecht, Lisin, Dawes, Hale, Fedoruk, Prust, Kalinin) and 6 new additions (Aucoin, Vandermeer, Lang, Fiddler, Korpikoski, Vrbata) not to mention the players who joined the team at the trade deadline last year. Think about it, would you make this 7 for 6 if it was a trade? I sure would. Anyone in hockey would.
You can't watch without looking behind the Coyotes bench and seeing the steady, composed hand of Dave Tippett already influencing the team. He's been here for all of 11 days and already it's starting to look like a Dave Tippett team. That's a good thing. And a very positive change.
As for the game, the Coyotes played clean, well organized and highly competitive hockey. They won battles for the puck. The power play produced one goal and could easily have had a couple of more. The Yotes won 59% of their faceoffs led by a glossy 8 of 13 for Matthew Lombardi. The only blemish was tepid penalty killing that allowed the Kings to score 3 times on 4 power play opportunities.
The Kings, on the other hand, did not. Jonathan Quick let in a couple of soft goals. The Kings defensive zone coverage was poor for much of the game and their compete level at equal strength was mediocre. Scott Upshall scored the 5th goal after an egregious giveaway by Drew Doughty. For all the hype over Doughty's play (and he is a gifted offensive player), he made at last a half dozen glaring errors and constantly put his team in a defensive hole.
Last year Radim Vrbata scored three goals in 18 games for Tampa Bay after leaving the Coyotes and signing a big free agent contract. He's already two thirds of the way to matching that with a nice two goal effort. Newcomer Robert Lang chipped in with a goal and was strong on the puck all night. The Vandermeer-Aucoin backline duo each ended up the night +3. Nice work all around.
Starting on the road may turn out to be a huge blessing for the team. The next two games -- Pittsburgh and Buffalo -- promise to be stiff tests but if the Coyotes can grab a point or two back east it will set up a nice homecoming next Saturday night. It will also give the team a chance to get away, bond and continue to absorb Tippet's
system. It will also give the team's fans reason to get worked up in anticipation of next Saturday's soon to be sold out game.
Let's also tip our hat to Todd Walsh for an emotional and factual feature about the history of hockey in Phoenix. It would be smart marketing for the Coyotes management to post the feature on their website and YouTube and make sure that every blogger in sight gets the link to this outstanding piece of work. It answered many of the arguments and pseudo-arguments that have been lodged against hockey in the desert. It was eloquent and accurate, typical of the high quality work that Walsh contributes to every broadcast.
While the off-ice "shenanigans" (thanks Dave Strater for putting it all into perspective) will continue for the next several weeks, the better the team does on the ice and the more buzz that hockey, not business, creates, the better off this franchise will be.
You know what, this could turn out to be a lot of fun this year.
For starters, it was a statement that the focus of the franchise is now back where it belongs, on the ice.
It was also a statement that there has been a lot of changes on this team, from a revamped coaching staff to a reworked lineup.
Perhaps most importantly, it turned into a statement that we've got a pretty good hockey team here. Hopefully, that will get some people to sit up and take notice.
A graphic flashed up at the start of the game reminded how much the team had changed (and improved) since the end of last season. 7 skaters gone (Rupprecht, Lisin, Dawes, Hale, Fedoruk, Prust, Kalinin) and 6 new additions (Aucoin, Vandermeer, Lang, Fiddler, Korpikoski, Vrbata) not to mention the players who joined the team at the trade deadline last year. Think about it, would you make this 7 for 6 if it was a trade? I sure would. Anyone in hockey would.
You can't watch without looking behind the Coyotes bench and seeing the steady, composed hand of Dave Tippett already influencing the team. He's been here for all of 11 days and already it's starting to look like a Dave Tippett team. That's a good thing. And a very positive change.
As for the game, the Coyotes played clean, well organized and highly competitive hockey. They won battles for the puck. The power play produced one goal and could easily have had a couple of more. The Yotes won 59% of their faceoffs led by a glossy 8 of 13 for Matthew Lombardi. The only blemish was tepid penalty killing that allowed the Kings to score 3 times on 4 power play opportunities.
The Kings, on the other hand, did not. Jonathan Quick let in a couple of soft goals. The Kings defensive zone coverage was poor for much of the game and their compete level at equal strength was mediocre. Scott Upshall scored the 5th goal after an egregious giveaway by Drew Doughty. For all the hype over Doughty's play (and he is a gifted offensive player), he made at last a half dozen glaring errors and constantly put his team in a defensive hole.
Last year Radim Vrbata scored three goals in 18 games for Tampa Bay after leaving the Coyotes and signing a big free agent contract. He's already two thirds of the way to matching that with a nice two goal effort. Newcomer Robert Lang chipped in with a goal and was strong on the puck all night. The Vandermeer-Aucoin backline duo each ended up the night +3. Nice work all around.
Starting on the road may turn out to be a huge blessing for the team. The next two games -- Pittsburgh and Buffalo -- promise to be stiff tests but if the Coyotes can grab a point or two back east it will set up a nice homecoming next Saturday night. It will also give the team a chance to get away, bond and continue to absorb Tippet's
system. It will also give the team's fans reason to get worked up in anticipation of next Saturday's soon to be sold out game.
Let's also tip our hat to Todd Walsh for an emotional and factual feature about the history of hockey in Phoenix. It would be smart marketing for the Coyotes management to post the feature on their website and YouTube and make sure that every blogger in sight gets the link to this outstanding piece of work. It answered many of the arguments and pseudo-arguments that have been lodged against hockey in the desert. It was eloquent and accurate, typical of the high quality work that Walsh contributes to every broadcast.
While the off-ice "shenanigans" (thanks Dave Strater for putting it all into perspective) will continue for the next several weeks, the better the team does on the ice and the more buzz that hockey, not business, creates, the better off this franchise will be.
You know what, this could turn out to be a lot of fun this year.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Our Long National Nightmare Is Over (Sort of...)
Well, at least one big issue is off the table.
Adios Mr. Balsillie. Seems like we hardly knew yee. Of course, we really had no desire to know yee. Please pack your moneybags and go back to Canada. (But you are welcome to visit anytime, our tourism industry needs your help)
Perhaps the best part of this decision is that we will no longer be treated to Jimberry's smiling picture framed by the Canadian flag every time we open a north of the border website reporting on the Coyotes. That had just gotten bleeping painful.
I won't rehash the entire judgement here but one simple sentence from page 25 pretty much summed it up..."This conclusion effectively is the end of the efforts of PSE, Balsillie, Moyes and The Coyotes to force a sale and relocation of the hockey team."
Thank you Judge Tom.
OK, so now the Balsillie option is off the table. What next?
We know that the Coyotes will play this year in Glendale, the NHL is in charge of revising their bid or finding a new owner and that if a favorable financial deal can be cut, hockey will be assured in Arizona for years to come.
Balsillie has already said he will not appeal. And through his lawyers, Moyes said they are considering next steps but trying to wage an appeal on bankruptcy and franchise law seems to be a longshot. There is no expedient path for an appeal. If Mr. Moyes decides to appeal, he will get on the end of the line and wait his turn in court. It will be a very long time before he will get a hearing, much less any satisfaction.
Of course, if he had competent legal counsel they would tell him that any appeal is a longshot. As I assume they told him when he first tried this whole bankruptcy/side door gambit.
But after watching his efforts as a team owner, I don't know if he would listen to sound legal advice if he got it.
So now the NHL has a clear shot at taking undisputed ownership of the Coyotes. They could continue as debtors in possession, revise their bid (as directed by Judge Baum) and become the interim owners or line up an alternate bidder (did someone say Jerry Reinsdorf?) to complete the purchase through bankruptcy.
And despite what you might have read, the NHL or other owners need not sweeten the pot by adding money to their bid. They could actually lower their offer. The only reason their bid was not accepted was that they tried to exclude claims by Moyes and Wayne Gretzky so that all other unsecured creditors would be paid. That won't happen without another hearing...before Judge Baum. Of course this could mean that some unsecured creditors don't get paid. That won't be good for the credibility of the team around town.
How the NHL chooses to handle this is probably under heavy discussion. The owners of the other teams would certainly prefer to minimize their losses. Lawyers are getting rich and the team continues to bleed cash. No one ever imagined that the league would have to fight to maintain their rights and constitution. That wasn't in the budget this year.
One would also theorize that new owners would prefer to get the team sooner rather than later to start rebuilding the fan base. If the Reinsdorf-Kaites-Tavares-Reinsdorf Jr. group or our friends from Ice Edge are still interested in the team, they now have a window to act.
One can also conclude that The City of Glendale would like to get this mess put away as soon as possible. Of course, that will come with a price for the City. The new owners, whoever they are, will require a new revised lease and the city either needs to pony up now or face more lawsuits and a possible departure of the team.
It would seem like all the elements are in place for quick action. Legal barriers have been removed. The NHL is back in charge, where they should have been all along. And its' in everyone's best interests to get a deal done as soon as possible.
Which would be a refreshing change from the tedious pace we've moved at over the last 5 months.
Adios Mr. Balsillie. Seems like we hardly knew yee. Of course, we really had no desire to know yee. Please pack your moneybags and go back to Canada. (But you are welcome to visit anytime, our tourism industry needs your help)
Perhaps the best part of this decision is that we will no longer be treated to Jimberry's smiling picture framed by the Canadian flag every time we open a north of the border website reporting on the Coyotes. That had just gotten bleeping painful.
I won't rehash the entire judgement here but one simple sentence from page 25 pretty much summed it up..."This conclusion effectively is the end of the efforts of PSE, Balsillie, Moyes and The Coyotes to force a sale and relocation of the hockey team."
Thank you Judge Tom.
OK, so now the Balsillie option is off the table. What next?
We know that the Coyotes will play this year in Glendale, the NHL is in charge of revising their bid or finding a new owner and that if a favorable financial deal can be cut, hockey will be assured in Arizona for years to come.
Balsillie has already said he will not appeal. And through his lawyers, Moyes said they are considering next steps but trying to wage an appeal on bankruptcy and franchise law seems to be a longshot. There is no expedient path for an appeal. If Mr. Moyes decides to appeal, he will get on the end of the line and wait his turn in court. It will be a very long time before he will get a hearing, much less any satisfaction.
Of course, if he had competent legal counsel they would tell him that any appeal is a longshot. As I assume they told him when he first tried this whole bankruptcy/side door gambit.
But after watching his efforts as a team owner, I don't know if he would listen to sound legal advice if he got it.
So now the NHL has a clear shot at taking undisputed ownership of the Coyotes. They could continue as debtors in possession, revise their bid (as directed by Judge Baum) and become the interim owners or line up an alternate bidder (did someone say Jerry Reinsdorf?) to complete the purchase through bankruptcy.
And despite what you might have read, the NHL or other owners need not sweeten the pot by adding money to their bid. They could actually lower their offer. The only reason their bid was not accepted was that they tried to exclude claims by Moyes and Wayne Gretzky so that all other unsecured creditors would be paid. That won't happen without another hearing...before Judge Baum. Of course this could mean that some unsecured creditors don't get paid. That won't be good for the credibility of the team around town.
How the NHL chooses to handle this is probably under heavy discussion. The owners of the other teams would certainly prefer to minimize their losses. Lawyers are getting rich and the team continues to bleed cash. No one ever imagined that the league would have to fight to maintain their rights and constitution. That wasn't in the budget this year.
One would also theorize that new owners would prefer to get the team sooner rather than later to start rebuilding the fan base. If the Reinsdorf-Kaites-Tavares-Reinsdorf Jr. group or our friends from Ice Edge are still interested in the team, they now have a window to act.
One can also conclude that The City of Glendale would like to get this mess put away as soon as possible. Of course, that will come with a price for the City. The new owners, whoever they are, will require a new revised lease and the city either needs to pony up now or face more lawsuits and a possible departure of the team.
It would seem like all the elements are in place for quick action. Legal barriers have been removed. The NHL is back in charge, where they should have been all along. And its' in everyone's best interests to get a deal done as soon as possible.
Which would be a refreshing change from the tedious pace we've moved at over the last 5 months.
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