 | The Coyotes...Surprised? |
 Desertdog17 writes "After half of the season the Phoenix Coyotes are not in the place almost everyone predicted...the bottom.
Since November 23rd, The Phoenix Coyotes have been red hot. This was the day Don Maloney picked Ilya Bryzgalov off waivers. Bryzgalov has been outstanding and has been getting great backup tending from Telly (although not many appearances). This gives the Coyotes something they have been missing for years, since Sean Burke. Confidence!! Playing in front of Bryz has given the Coyotes the condidence that if they make a mistake, they will usually be bailed out. In the month of December the coyotes allowed the fewest goals against in the NHL, as opposed to the month of November where they were 29th! This is quite a jump. The Coyotes have on of the best road records in the NHL, and are slowly improving what started as a horrific home record.
Now after half the season, The coyotes are 3 games avove .500, and are pushing for that playoff birth. At the start of the season, everyone, including professional sports analysts, predicted the Coyotes last, due to the fact that they were going with youth this year. They most definatley are being the Youngest teams in the NHL with players like Daniel Winnik, Dan Carcillo, Craig Weller, Matt Jones, Keith Yandle, but most notably, Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal have been outstanding. Mueller logs over 20:00 minutes a night playing on the top line, and is a 19 year old with the confidence to play the point on the powerplay! Martin Hanzal, although not many goals, has been Radim Vrbatas set up man. I could also state what an underrated steal that has been (vrbata for Adams prior to the season), But Martin Hanzal is second in rookie scoring currently with 4 goals, and 18 assists.
If the Coyotes can continue this red hot play they have had through December and the undefeated start to the new year, they will turn alot of heads, and surprise alot of teams. I am by no means saying Cup winners, or confrence winners, but a birth in the playoffs would be quite an accomplishment for this young team, and as a coyotes fan for the past ten years, it would be a year to remember for me.One final thought, If the coyotes do manage to make the playoffs...you have to think Wayne Gretzky for Jack Adams? Comments?"
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| "The Coyotes...Surprised?" | Login/Create an Account | 5 comments |
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Re: The Coyotes...Surprised? (Score: 1)
by jarcpitre on Tuesday, January 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Yes, this is going to be a good young team in the future. They also have coming a Kyle Turris and Chris Summers that played in the world juniors. I'm not quite sure what other players besides these two from the world juniors, but they should be a fun team to watch in the future. Picking up Bryzgalov off waivers was one of the best moves I've seen a team do in a long time with reference to making a huge impact. Hopefully this will bring up the fan base for a small market team. |
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Re: The Coyotes...Surprised? (Score: 1)
by Don_Karnage on Tuesday, January 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | Good to see my team ahead of schedule in the whole rebuilding stage...though Stamkos or Tavares would look good in a Coyotes jersey...
Still can't believe how good Bryzgalov is doing. Thank you Brian Burke, and a special thanks to Niedermayer, because if it wasn't for his indecisiveness, that waiver transaction may never have happened.
On yeah...don't EVER give Gretzky that curse that is the Jack Adams trophy...for the love of god, just don't. I actually like Gretz as a coach, so I really don't want him to have the same fate as Bobby Francis
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Re: The Coyotes...Surprised? (Score: 1)
by kamullia on Tuesday, January 08
(User Info | Send a Message) | Not just surprised, but very surprised. I was one of those who in an analysis of some other sorts, actually did predict off-hand that the Coyotes would be looking forward to the 2008 draft, since their roster simply begged for a last place finish. In fact, Phoenix was doing better than expected even before Bryzgalov, therefore I was pleasantly surprised and happy for the Coyotes fans. In fact, the picking of Bryzgalov was somewhat of a roll of the dice for the Coyotes, as far as their future goes.
The 2008 draft is considered almost universally to be full of great talent and plenty of it. Not that you can tell a team they should tank, or should a team ever do so (...mumbling Lemieux) but the fact remains that for the future, any team who is capable of selecting in the top of the draft (provided the scouting staff does their job in the late rounds) should quite possibly position themselves at a better spot for the future of the franchise. By selecting Bryzgalov off the wire, the Coyotes management simply placed a bet that getting Ilya as a goaltender was more important to the future of the franchise, than a better ac*****ulation of talent they could gather from placing higher in the draft order. And they could be right...but time will have to tell on this one. Regardless, it is great for the Coyotes.
Now, as far as Gretzky for the Adams, I would not go that far. Perhaps consideration as a finalist, but thus far I would think that Babc*ck is probably the front runner with Vigneault, Laviolette, and even Carbonneau probably being ahead, or at worst at par with Gretzky as far as the voters. After all, the Coyotes are still as of today, 20th overall in the entire NHL, and they would have to do a lot better for Gretzky to win that award (...and he would still have to probably wrestle it out of Babc*ck's hands).
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