It's been a frustrating playoff series for the Phoenix Coyotes, and no one has been more frustrated than captain Shane Doan. He was tossed out of Game 2 on a boarding call. He was tackled WWE-style by Drew Doughty in the final moments of Game 3 and ...
Boivin: Shane Doan led the charge against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday at Staples Center, his stick a defibrillator paddle that sparked life back into this series.
No. 1 Star: Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes The Coyotes captain beat Jonathan Quick twice in Game 4, leading Phoenix to a 2-0 victory to cut the Los Angeles Kings' series lead to 3-1. Doan's power-play goal in the first period and shot off the ...
Source: AZCentral.com
Notes: Perhaps it wasn't by accident that a star performance -- scoring both goals in a 2-0 win -- from Shane Doan coincided with his reunion with Mikkel Boedker and Antoine Vermette.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
The Phoenix Coyotes weren't about to go quietly into the night as long as captain Shane Doan had a say in the matter.
Source: Bleacher Report
LOS ANGELES - Maybe a cruel act of desperation can bring out the best.
That was certainly the case Sunday afternoon when the Phoenix Coyotes, facing elimination and commencement of their summer vacation, pulled out a team “hat trick,” and survived to play another day.
In defeating the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 before 18,402 in the Staples Center, the Coyotes displayed three facets of their game—better puck movement, better forechecking and taking advantage of opportunities—to extend this Western Conference final round.
With the win, the Coyotes forced a fifth game Tuesday night at Jobing.com Arena, but they continue to trail in this best-of-seven series 3-1.
Why it took three games for the Coyotes to engineer scoring chances and, for the most part, control the neutral zone, their complete level remains outstanding. Phoenix goalie Mike Smith indicated how facing the end of the hockey season pushed his team to the precipice.
“This was a game we had to win,” he said after recording his third shutout this playoff season to tie the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist for the league lead. “We didn’t panic. People talk about desperation, but that really doesn’t settle in until you realize this could be your last game.”
As the proceeding three games played out, Game 4 began in similar fashion. The Kings dominated play with keeping four players between the blue lines and forcing the Coyotes to play mostly in their end. The shot total reflected the continued imbalance of play, and after 20 minutes, the Kings held a 10-5 advantage.
With Shane Doan’s power-play goal at 14:19 of the opening period, the Coyotes' mindset seemed to change. Instead of watching the Kings control play, Phoenix, by some mystical power, began to alter the course of play.
Doan also added the Coyotes’ second goal on a blast so quick that Doan admitted he did not see the puck enter the Kings’ net. His second goal at 11:10 of the second period represented all the scoring, and it pumped energy into a faltering life support system.
Forechecking appeared to surface, and the Kings' once-invincible domination of the entire 200 by 85-foot ice surface dissipated.
“We were able to make a better first pass over the blue line, and that was the difference,” said Doan. “Once you can get that pass over the blue line, it opens up play, and we did not do that before.”
That represented greater puck movement and helped break a logjam in the neutral zone Los Angeles created over the past three games.
The Coyotes also changed their essential approach to the game.
Phoenix had not been terribly pro-active in this series, and that represented one of the significant factors why they fell behind. In Game 4, overall play was much improved.
“We had better execution with the puck, and we made better decisions,” said forward Ray Whitney, who assisted on Doan’s power-play goal. “I thought we had more jump to our play and players were on the same page with a strong effort.”
In their ability to transition from a team walking the plank to a team now with a renewed spirit, the game was very similar of how the Coyotes played down the stretch. That effort helped gain entrance to the playoffs, and it pushed the Coyotes past Chicago and Nashville.
In winning the last five games of the regular season, and three with Smith shutting out San Jose, Anaheim and Columbus, Game 4 of this Western finals evolved in a similar manner.
The Coyotes were able to contain the Kings' wingers, which allowed Smith to make the initial save, and Smith, in turn, dropped few rebound opportunities in the slot. Though the Kings out-shot Phoenix 36-21, pressure came essentially from the outside.
Defenseman Drew Doughty tied with winger Trevor Lewis for the most shots on Smith with five, but shot production from the Kings' reliable scorers indicated the creditable job the Phoenix defense did to keep lethal scorers at bay.
From the Kings' top line, captain Dustin Brown had only two shots on net, Azne Kopitar had two and Justin Williams managed three shots on net. Plus, the Kings went 0-for-6 on the power play, and that caught immediate attention.
“We took too much time,” said Darryl Sutter, the Kings' coach. “When you take that much time, it shows poor shooting on our part. Plus, they had a strong fore-check, and our guys did not respond to their forechecking.”
IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL IT’S OVER
In an effort to finish off Phoenix, the Kings now take their unbeaten playoff record back on the road.
Here, they have won a franchise-record eight away from Staples Center, and the NHL record for consecutive road wins in one playoff season is 11 by the 1992 Blackhawks, the 1992 Penguins and the 1993 Canadiens.
Still, the task ahead for Phoenix remains formidable.
In the previous two games at Jobing-com Arena in this series, the Coyotes have scored two goals for the 120 minutes, both in Game 1.
Plus, the two goals in Game 4 was the sixth time this playoff season Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has allowed that many in any one game, save surrendering three in a 3-1 defeat to Vancouver at home during Game 4 of the opening round.
The two Doan goals was the first time the Kings allowed back-to-back goals since Game 4 of the Vancouver series.
“You still need to win four games,” Sutter said. “Right now, there’s not a great difference between the two teams. To win in the playoffs, you still need great goaltending and good defense.”
The last time the Kings were shut in a playoff game was April 29, 2002 by Patrick Roy of Colorado.
Mark Brown is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Yahoo! Sports
The Phoenix goalie was perfect in Game 4 to prolong the West final. The question is, can he do it three more times against powerful Los Angeles?Source: Yahoo! Sports
The Los Angeles Kings can't really explain their success on the road in these playoffs. They just hope it continues.Source: Bleacher Report
The crowd at Staples Center in Los Angeles was ready for a party, but the Phoenix Coyotes played spoiler on Sunday with a 2-0 shutout victory over the Kings.
Shane Doan had both goals for Phoenix, while goalie Mike Smith was busy—stopping all 36 shots the Kings fired his way.
The game marks L.A.'s second loss of these playoffs, as the series now shifts back to Arizona on Tuesday for Game 5.
With the way the Kings have been rolling in this postseason, it was almost a given that the Clarence Campbell Bowl would be presented after the game. But the idea that the fourth game of a series is the hardest to win does have some truth behind it, especially for a conference championship.
Players were probably busy ensuring that their family, friends and VIPs were in the building to share in the moment. This creates both a distraction and additional pressure.
Furthermore, Los Angeles was in a state of particular chaos today. In addition to the Kings sharing Staples Center with the NBA's Lakers and Clippers this weekend, the Amgen Tour of California bike race also cut through the streets outside the arena on Sunday morning.
Any game that starts at noon is a real disruption in a hockey player's routine. This morning, the transportation logistics alone would have been extra challenging, especially for the Kings' players, who probably made their own way to the arena rather than arriving on a bus as a group, like the Coyotes.
This might be a real explanation for the Kings' sluggish play. After turning out so many consistently strong performances game after game in these playoffs, fans were not treated to the exciting style of hockey they've come to expect. They did still fire 36 shots on Mike Smith, but many of those chances came from the perimeter and they had a hard time getting past the Coyotes' defense to make life difficult for Smith. Dustin Brown in particular was uncharacteristically quiet, with just two shots, two hits and one block to show for his day's work.
The Kings also made two mistakes that cost them dearly.
On Phoenix's first goal, Ray Whitney was able to intercept a clearing attempt by Jonathan Quick from behind the Kings' net and then fired it out to an opportunistic Shane Doan, who made no mistake. That goal came on the power play at 14:19 of the first period, and it marked the first time the Coyotes were able to sustain a lead for more than two minutes in the series.
Doan managed to double the lead at 11:10 of the second, on a goal that almost no one initially saw. A defensive-zone giveaway by Drew Doughty had led to a scoring chance by Phoenix and then an offensive-zone faceoff.
Antoine Vermette has been lights-out on draws throughout this series. He won the faceoff cleanly back to Doan, who fired a wrister that deflected over Quick's glove hand, hit the camera in the net and bounced back out.
Play continued down the ice before a video review confirmed the puck had gone into the net and Doan had logged his second career two-goal playoff game.
The Kings continued to fire shots at Smith in the third, and Phoenix gave up a total of eight power plays throughout the game. But the Coyotes' penalty kill remained perfect, and the Desert Dogs handed the Kings their first shutout loss of the 2012 playoffs.
Jobing.com Arena in Glendale should be jumping for Game 5, which will take place Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT.
The Kings were able to bounce back from their Game 4 loss against Vancouver in Round 1 with an OT win on the road to seal the series. Will they be able to repeat their history?
Thanks for reading. Follow me on Twitter @pool88.
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Bleacher Report
The Phoenix Coyotes have been out shot by the Los Angeles Kings in each of their four Western Conference playoff games thus far.
If the Coyotes want to win Game 5, and extend the series, they must shoot the puck early an often.
Let's take a look at how Phoenix won Game 4 and how they can win Game 5.
Coyotes' Game 4 Victory
Phoenix won Game 4 despite getting outshot by the Kings in every period.
If the Coyotes can pick up their offensive pace in Game 5, they will continue this series. Without it, the Coyotes will need to rely on their defense and goalie Mike Smith to win the game.
I wouldn't bank on defense to beat the Kings right now. Los Angeles has won 11 of 13 playoff games thus far and has not struggled to score the puck for the most part.
The Coyotes have relied on their defense all season, but the playoffs are a different animal. Jonathan Quick has been stellar for the Kings in net throughout the playoffs, and you will only survive for so long without shooting more than a high-powered offense.
Los Angeles' ability to score, despite their offensive struggles in the regular season, has reinvigorated their Stanley Cup chances.
Phoenix must match their offense's aggressive play and force the Kings to play more in their own end.
How Can the Coyotes Win Game 5?
The Coyotes must back their defense up with aggressive offense in Game 5.
Phoenix won Game 4 despite out shot 36 to 21. Mike Smith delivered a shutout performance and their defense was staunch against the Kings' attack.
Creating more offense from the beginning will allow the Coyotes' defense to bet more comfortable. It will also take more pressure off Smith, allowing him to play his game without being under constant duress.
Putting shots on Quick is important.
The longer you allow a goalie to get comfortable in between the pipes, the more likely he is to shut you out.
Quick's rhythm must be disrupted early, and it must be disrupted often.
The Coyotes' offense will get into a rhythm, and they will have a much bigger chance of keeping this series alive.
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Five For Howling by Carl Putnam
[GameCenter - Ice Tracker - Game Summary - Event Summary - Faceoff Summary - Play-by-Play - Home TOI -
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Shane Doan was defiant heading into Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. He wasn't ready to see the Phoenix Coyotes' season end, and certainly not under a cloud of humiliation. "This team's worked too hard to not show what we're capable of. A lot of guys were embarrassed going down 3-0, and we ought to find a way to show what we're capable of," said Doan on CBC, moments after his 2-goal effort stood up in a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. "We got a game back." Of course, the Kings have lost a potential elimination game on home ice before — and still saw their series end in five. They've also been on the road before in the 2012 playoffs. They've yet to lose, going 7-for-7. Doan, the Coyotes' captain, has heard about this streak. "What is it, nine in a row or something? Everyone's talking about it. There's two ways to look at it: They're either due to lose, or we have to do something to stop them. Law of averages says they're going to eventually lose on the road," said Doan in the postgame presser. "Next game would be a bad one to lose."Source: Bleacher Report
Even before he single-handedly sculpted a 2-0 advantage that would soon morph into a season-saving victory for the Phoenix Coyotes, Shane Doan set the tone for the day by preventing an early Los Angeles Kings’ icebreaker.
Sunday’s Game 4 of the Western Conference finals was only 75 seconds old when Doan watched his fellow Phoenix veteran, Ray Whitney, go to the sin bin for roughing.
Not only was the eldest member of the Coyotes taking a penalty in the wee phases of an elimination game, he was doing so by letting a Los Angeles rookie—Slava Voynov, who started this season with AHL Manchester—get the better of his emotions during a routine scrum along the boards.
If the Coyotes wanted any odds-defying shot at reversing the course of this series, they needed a reversal to the course of Sunday’s game without fail.
Enter Captain Doan, who would place fourth on the team with 22 minutes and 35 seconds of ice time on the day. The Kings would manage four attempted shots on their first power play, including two on net, but Doan also managed to get his stick on two traveling pucks before clearing the zone.
Owing at least partial credit to that, but no small sum of it, the Coyotes went unscathed through a shorthanded segment that saw no stoppages of play.
The remainder of the opening stanza was fairly whistle-heavy, at least in the sense that five additional penalties and three more power plays were doled out.
The last of those worked in Phoenix’s favor. Only 25 seconds into Justin Williams’ two-minute sentence for interfering with goaltender Mike Smith, L.A. counterpart Jonathan Quick gave the puck away from behind the net.
The turnover equaled a chance for Whitney to redress himself and for Doan to raise the upper hand for his team. Still stationed along the goal line, Doan accepted Whitney’s forward pass and proceeded to spoon a backhander home to the right of Quick for the icebreaker at the 14:19 mark.
One game and nearly three full days after he had perhaps flexed excess physicality with 11 hits in Game 3, Doan charged up a much more balanced line on Sunday. He tied teammate Derek Morris and L.A.’s Trevor Lewis with five body-checks and also issued five attempted shots, putting three on net.
One of those that missed constituted another reckonable scoring threat at 8:41 of the second period. Carrying the puck up the far alley onto Quick’s property, Doan would see his shot deflected out of play by backchecker Rob Scuderi.
But two shifts later, Scuderi had the misfortune of helping Doan’s second unanswered goal find its way into the top shelf.
At the 11:10 mark of the middle frame, Doan collected the remnants of linemate Antoine Vermette’s faceoff win and slugged it in from above the dot, almost the same position where he had released his previous attempt.
With the second goal, Doan is now tied with Vermette, who was Sunday’s best faceoff man on either side with 12 wins on 18 tries, for the team lead with five postseason goals.
With the assist, Vermette has his first point of the conference finals and the Coyotes are now 8-0 in these playoffs when he appears on the scoresheet.
A veteran of 53 Stanley Cup playoff games, including all 47 during the Coyotes’ tenure in Phoenix, Doan’s icebreaker held up as his fourth career game-winner in postseason action. It improved his team to 4-8 all-time when facing elimination and 2-2 in that situation during his nine-year captaincy.
In a spring stocked with firsts, Doan merged the two scenarios for the first-time, tallying the decider and the insurance to stave off elimination. With that, he tangibly and intangibly helped his team prolong what is already the most head-turning run in his 17-year tenure with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise.
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Shane Doan scored twice and Mike Smith posted this third shutout of the post-season as the Phoenix Coyotes staved off elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs by beating Los Angeles 2-0 on Sunday.Source: AZCentral.com
The Coyotes finally had an answer for the Kings, posting a 2-0 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at Staples Center on Sunday.Source: Yahoo! Sports
LOS ANGELES (AP) Shane Doan scored two goals, Mike Smith made 36 saves in his third playoff shutout, and the Phoenix Coyotes emphatically avoided playoff elimination with a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday.Source: Yahoo! Sports
You've got your stick in hand and all you want to do is score, but someone is denying you that moment of euphoria. Husbands of the world, the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and the Phoenix Coyotes feel your frustration … and this display ad outside of Staples Center around LA Live during Game 4 of the Western Conference Final is hilarious. Over the last two years, the Boston Bruins offered some hilarious (and hilariously offensive, to some parties) display advertisements. For example: "Never, Ever Date A Flyers Fan. Even If She Shaves Her Moustache." Whoever put this Jonathan Quick tribute up — the Los Angeles Kings? Reebok? Some mysterious goalie-loving benefactor? — is giving those Boston ads a run for comedic genius in playoff display advertising. Although, a word of advice for that frustrated husband: Try shooting from center ice. s/t @bloodyeyeballs, via @hockeydoc21 and @tonybovaSource: Five For Howling by Carl Putnam
Next GamePhoenix Coyotes
@ Los Angeles Kings
Sunday, May 20, 2012, 12:00 PM MST
STAPLES Center
TV: NBC
Radio: Xtra Sports 910
Foe Sites: Jewels From The Crown and Battle Of
Source: AZCentral.com
Noon: Can the Coyotes avoid getting swept in Los Angeles? Join the game chat, follow the updates!Source: Yahoo! Sports
The Staples Center in Los Angeles has been busy this weekend with six playoff games in four days between the Clippers, Kings and Lakers with today featuring a day/night hockey/basketball doubleheader. And while arena workers change the surface from ice to a basketball court sometime this afternoon, at the same time, there could be some celebrating going on in the home locker room. The Stanley Cup Final awaits the Kings with a win today over the Phoenix Coyotes. It's been 19 years since they've been at this point in the postseason, but there are plenty of players on the roster that have played this late in a season before. Despite that experience, there will be nerves and likely some minds looking ahead before the puck drops on Game 4. "Everyone talks about getting to the Stanley Cup Final, but I can only speak really for myself, playing in that game tomorrow [Sunday] night is pretty fun, as well," said Kings captain Dustin Brown yesterday. "It's one of the things where you gotta really enjoy the journey. We're one game away from the Cup Final. But it's one game we have to win." It's only human nature for Brown and his teammates to picture what a celebration might be like in front of the home crowd after another series sweep. And, in Brown's case, he may have taken a moment to ponder whether or not he touches the Clarence Campbell Bowl out of superstition. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, however, were a bit more cautious.Source: Five For Howling by Dude, The
More than one hockey pundits are thinking that the Phoenix Coyotes are going to get swept by the Los Angeles Kings this afternoon. These same pundits didn't think that the Coyotes could beat the Blackhawks or the Predators so we know how often they are right. The Coyotes need to take it one shift at a time this afternoon and if they get help from everyone and they stay focused they have a good chance to win the game. As we know a team is very dangerous when they are facing
Source: AZCentral.com
Boivin: The Coyotes have adopted the mantra entering Game 4 Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.Source: AZCentral.com
The script that has detailed the majority of the Coyotes' postseason victories has yet to take center stage in the Western Conference finals.Source: Five For Howling by Carl Putnam
With the Phoenix Coyotes in a do or die situation down 3-0 in their series with the Los Angeles Kings, it is now or never for the Desert Dogs. The question is will they come out fighting now that their backs are against the wall. However, as they say the close out game in a playoff series is always the hardest to win for the team leading the series.
Five For Winning
1. No time to panic. Yes, Phoenix is in the biggest hole imaginable in the playoffs. However, they need to focus all their efforts every shift on making smart plays with the puck. This is especially true if the Kings get a lead. The Yotes have had a tendency to make mistakes when things have been going against
Source: AZCentral.com
The Coyotes have managed only three goals compared with the 17 they scored against the Blackhawks and 12 against the Predators.Source: Yahoo! Sports
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) For three years now, coach Dave Tippett has kept the Phoenix Coyotes together when they had every off-ice reason to fall apart. When they struggled to fill their rink, when the franchise seemed headed to Winnipeg, Tippett and his players kept improving and winning.Source: Yahoo! Sports
No. 1 Star: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers Lundqvist and his teammates did a fine job of frustrating the New Jersey Devils all afternoon during their 3-0 win in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. Lundqvist made 36 saves for his third shutout of the playoffs and second against the Devils. One of his 36 stops was beauty on Ilya Kovalchuk to keep things scoreless early in the second period: No. 2 Star: Dan Girardi, New York Rangers Girardi has now scored three time in the playoffs and all three have been credited as game-winners. This was the second straight time he's scored in a 3-0 Rangers win against New Jersey. Girardi's goal came 3:19 into the third period after a Rangers faceoff win in the Devils' defensive zone: No. 3 Star: Martin Brodeur, New York Rangers Brodeur was bested by Lundqvist today, but he gave the Devils a fighting chance with 19 saves, including this robbery of Ryan Callahan:Source: Yahoo! Sports
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) For three years now, coach Dave Tippett has kept the Phoenix Coyotes together when they had every off-ice reason to fall apart. When they struggled to fill their rink, when the franchise seemed headed to Winnipeg, Tippett and his players kept improving and winning.Source: Yahoo! Sports
It's difficult to know if Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren believed that the massive roster revolution he led last year would result in a Stanley Cup victory this June.Source: Bleacher Report
As harrowing as a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven bout ought to be, the Phoenix Coyotes may be undertaking their task to take four straight do-or-die games in the least harrowing fashion.
The interlude between Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals is the longest of the series, namely the only gap lasting more than two full calendar days. The former ended at 8:35 p.m. local time Thursday night and the latter is slated to commence shortly after noon local time on Sunday.
And the two games in question are both being hosted by the opposing Los Angeles Kings. This means there will be none of the 700-mile travel it takes to go to Glendale and back at any point in the 64-plus hours between Thursday’s final horn and Sunday’s faceoff.
In turn, the Coyotes should benefit from being consistently assembled as one under the roof of their Los Angeles hotel.
That just means more quantitative and qualitative time to sweep away the shards from Martin Hanzal’s suspension and other discipline-related unpleasantness stemming from the last two games. It means more time to reassess the man-for-man matchups that have so far worked in the Kings’ decisive favor for the first three installments of this series.
And it means more time for the Coyotes to soul search, and just enough time for them to recall how they catapulted themselves from a non-playoff spot to this stage in a matter of three months.
Coming out on top in a volatile four-way Pacific Division derby, Phoenix indubitably appreciates its feat and how challenging it will be to follow up on it next season. Both the Kings and the San Jose Sharks had their own lengthy lulls during the 2011-12 regular season, which contributed to their respective finishes at the very bottom of the playoff bracket.
This is not to say the Coyotes must operate under a one-and-done mentality. They have nine players age 30 or younger under contract through at least next season, none more vital than goaltender Mike Smith, whose breakout year was only recently put on hold as LA’s Jon Quick has outclassed him so far in this series.
And of those who are more seasoned and more mature, the likes of Shane Doan and Daymond Langkow will likely allow the success of this season to influence their decisions ahead of free agency in July.
Even so, Doan and Langkow will both be 36 and going on 18 NHL seasons by the next training camp. And this is the closest either man has come to even playing in a Stanley Cup Final, which still isn’t saying much when you consider they still need four wins to claim that passport.
If that notion in particular sinks in and solidifies, it will only be a surprise if the Coyotes are not beaming with healthy desperation by Sunday. What that will do, if anything, to push up a narrowly open window against an assertive Kings team is another story.
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Five For Howling by Dude, The
The Coyotes had a day off yesterday complete with an optional skate which had a few players sitting out hoping to get their minds off playoff hockey for a bit. You have to imagine the stress of being down 3-0 in a series has an effect on a player, although the Yotes who were here last year know the scenario all to well. Luckily, they do not give you anything for winning 3 games and the Coyotes still have a chance to do something, no matter how small that chance is. I did not read anything giving a definitive answer but it seems extremely possible that Adrian Aucoin may be returning and Martin Hanzal's suspension is up so he will be playing in Game 4, which means
Source: AZCentral.com
Boivin: A sleepy sports weekend in the Valley is in sharp contrast to what's going on in downtown La-La Land these days - insanity.Source: AZCentral.com
Notes: Although the Coyotes will be the first to admit their play in the Western Conference finals hasn't been enough to gain any leverage in the best-of-seven series, the officiating in the games against the Kings has been pinpointed as another factor that has sometimes hurt the Coyotes.Source: AZCentral.com
The 2012 version of the Coyotes had to claw their way into the playoffs, learning how to compete in difficult situations.Source: Bleacher Report
Over the past two months, the NHL and its conniving commissioner have been steadfast in making a deal to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Arizona. Those who support the saying "fool me three times, what am I an idiot?" have been steadfast in ignoring Gary Bettman's lies.
And now we come so close to tasting what most of us hockey fans haven't tasted since 1995: some Quebec Nordiques in the NHL. As a fan of the game, one must support cities and fans that love the game and will always be there to keep it strong.
For the Quebec Nordiques, fan support was never the issue. But a tremendously weak Canadian dollar and an aging arena made it a financial impossibility to keep the team.
This is not the case with the Phoenix Coyotes, nor has it ever been. The team is lucky to have a still sparkling arena and a dollar that may not be as strong as it was but is still not suffering the same disparity as Canada in the mid-'90s.
The issue in Phoenix remains the fans, who just don't care. Arizona has the Cardinals, Suns and Diamondbacks, and although none of those teams have been on an upswing recently, the only playoff team in town is by a good margin the least remembered. Which is sad, but such is life.
So for those following, it seemed imminent that with an 18,000-seat capacity, state-of-the-art stadium underway, the Nordiques are back, and so they will be, officially.
The date to look out for is May 22, which has been recently leaked due to voting by council and some inside sources as the one that will reveal the announcement for the future of the team. It would also be the date of the fifth game of the Conference Finals for the Yotes, who may not see it, as the Kings have the chance to sweep them in four.
The sale of the Thrashers and movement to Winnipeg was announced on the 31st of May last year. However, many have argued the Nordiques organization would need more time than the Jets, who were themselves strapped for it. Regardless, it doesn't take a genius to realize a relocation package has always been in the work, barring a miracle Stanley Cup Championship, which seems to be extremely unlikely due to the Coyotes' current 0-3 position in their series.
So from this writer, all is well in hockey, and the Nordiques are just around the corner.
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Trending Topics is a column that looks at the week in hockey, occasionally according to Twitter. If you're only going to comment to say how stupid Twitter is, why not just go have a good cry for the slow, sad death of your dear internet instead? There are a lot of teams in the NHL that are easy to hate, for a lot of reasons. The Bruins are a dirty team. The Canucks dive everywhere. The Leafs are force-fed to everyone in the League, and same for the Penguins. The Rangers are ruining hockey by blocking a million shots. The Ducks have Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The Canadiens and Red Wings have tied for "World's Most Insufferable Fans." The Capitals have a heavy bandwagon following. The Islanders are owned by the hockey equivalent of Joffrey Baratheon. The Kings' Twitter guys said mean stuff about your favorite team. The Jets pretend they weren't the Thrashers less than a year ago. And so forth. On the other hand, there are also a few teams no one has any hard-and-fast opinions about one way or another. One such is — or at least used to be — the Phoenix Coyotes.Source: Yahoo! Sports
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) Dwight King has been living in a hotel since the Los Angeles Kings recalled him from the minors just over three months ago, and the playoff hero isn't about to move out of his temporary digs.Source: Bleacher Report
Despite the fact that the Phoenix Coyotes were seeded higher than the Los Angeles Kings, many still expected the Kings to win their Western Conference Finals. Now that LA has a 3-0 series lead, it would seem to appear as though that is what will happen.
If the Coyotes want to have any chance of making this series interesting again, though, several players will need to be much better.
Phoenix simply hasn't played with the same passion as when they knocked out the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators in the previous two rounds. The defense and goaltending have taken a step backwards, the scoring has plummeted and many players have been undisciplined.
With that said, until one team wins four games, it isn't too late to turn things around.
Here are three Coyotes stars who must be much better in Game 4 if they hope to send the series back to Phoenix for Game 5.
Mike Smith
Regardless of what happens in this series, you can't take anything away from Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. He is the main reason why they have gotten as far as they have.
Smith was fantastic in the regular season, but he turned things up another notch when the playoffs began as he has recorded a 2.02 goals against average and an unfathomable .942 save percentage.
He has been at a disadvantage in this series, however, and it has shown.
Smith has played well despite suffering three straight defeats. The fact that his team has racked up so many penalties has really hurt him. Smith really didn't have a chance on many of the Kings' goals this series.
If the Coyotes are going to win Game 4 and stay alive, then he will have to turn in his best effort of the year. That may seem like a lot to ask, but Phoenix relies on Smith a ton. Sunday will be no different.
Radim Vrbata
Coyotes forward Radim Vrbata led the team in scoring during the regular season with 35 goals and was one of the true unsung heroes in the entire league. He hasn't built off of his impressive regular season, though, as he has only two goals and two assists in 14 postseason games.
Even when the Coyotes were winning in the playoffs, the dangerous Vrbata simply wasn't as much of a factor as most thought that he would be.
He has yet to record a single point in three games against the Kings, and while much of that has to do with the superb goaltending of Jonathan Quick, Vrbata hasn't been particularly noticeable.
Vrbata is a shooter who needs to be set up. He's typically not a guy who creates offense for himself, so some blame has to fall on his line mates as well.
Vrbata is the guy Phoenix counts on for a lot of their offensive production, though, and he needs to show up in Game 4.
Martin Hanzal
The Coyotes missed center Martin Hanzal dearly in their Game 3 loss to the Kings. The towering, 6'6" pivot is an important presence for Phoenix as he wins face-offs, kills penalties, wreaks havoc in front of the net and uses his physicality to his advantage.
Hanzal was suspended for Game 3 after a reckless hit on Dustin Brown in Game 2, and his absence cost the Coyotes in the most recent contest.
Hanzal has to know that he messed up and let his team down, so it is incumbent upon him to come out with plenty of vim and vigor in Game 4. He isn't known for his point production, but he has five points in 10 games this postseason, so he can help in that regard too.
The Coyotes are probably going to need to win a dirty, sloppy and ugly affair to keep the series alive, and since that plays into Hanzal's hands, he has to play well.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Bleacher Report
Despite the fact that the Phoenix Coyotes were seeded higher than the Los Angeles Kings, many still expected the Kings to win their Western Conference Finals. Now that LA has a 3-0 series lead, it would seem to appear as though that is what will happen.
If the Coyotes want to have any chance of making this series interesting again, though, several players will need to be much better.
Phoenix simply hasn't played with the same passion as when they knocked out the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators in the previous two rounds. The defense and goaltending have taken a step backwards, the scoring has plummeted and many players have been undisciplined.
With that said, until one team wins four games, it isn't too late to turn things around.
Here are three Coyotes stars who must be much better in Game 4 if they hope to send the series back to Phoenix for Game 5.
Mike Smith
Regardless of what happens in this series, you can't take anything away from Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. He is the main reason why they have gotten as far as they have.
Smith was fantastic in the regular season, but he turned things up another notch when the playoffs began as he has recorded a 2.02 goals against average and an unfathomable .942 save percentage.
He has been at a disadvantage in this series, however, and it has shown.
Smith has played well despite suffering three straight defeats. The fact that his team has racked up so many penalties has really hurt him. Smith really didn't have a chance on many of the Kings' goals this series.
If the Coyotes are going to win Game 4 and stay alive, then he will have to turn in his best effort of the year. That may seem like a lot to ask, but Phoenix relies on Smith a ton. Sunday will be no different.
Radim Vrbata
Coyotes forward Radim Vrbata led the team in scoring during the regular season with 35 goals and was one of the true unsung heroes in the entire league. He hasn't built off of his impressive regular season, though, as he has only two goals and two assists in 14 postseason games.
Even when the Coyotes were winning in the playoffs, the dangerous Vrbata simply wasn't as much of a factor as most thought that he would be.
He has yet to record a single point in three games against the Kings, and while much of that has to do with the superb goaltending of Jonathan Quick, Vrbata hasn't been particularly noticeable.
Vrbata is a shooter who needs to be set up. He's typically not a guy who creates offense for himself, so some blame has to fall on his line mates as well.
Vrbata is the guy Phoenix counts on for a lot of their offensive production, though, and he needs to show up in Game 4.
Martin Hanzal
The Coyotes missed center Martin Hanzal dearly in their Game 3 loss to the Kings. The towering, 6'6" pivot is an important presence for Phoenix as he wins face-offs, kills penalties, wreaks havoc in front of the net and uses his physicality to his advantage.
Hanzal was suspended for Game 3 after a reckless hit on Dustin Brown in Game 2, and his absence cost the Coyotes in the most recent contest.
Hanzal has to know that he messed up and let his team down, so it is incumbent upon him to come out with plenty of vim and vigor in Game 4. He isn't known for his point production, but he has five points in 10 games this postseason, so he can help in that regard too.
The Coyotes are probably going to need to win a dirty, sloppy and ugly affair to keep the series alive, and since that plays into Hanzal's hands, he has to play well.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media. • Look, JGL: "Inception" was the bomb. You were Han Solo in "500 Days of Summer." You probably become Batman when Bane breaks Bruce Wayne's back (/speculation). But please do not wear the Lakers gear to the Kings game. That said, feel free to wear the Kings gear to the Lakers game, if there are still going to be Lakers games this spring. • The Ryan Suter watch begins next week. Hold onto your butts. [ Malik ] • Shea Weber on Alex Radulov's quasi-suspension in Round 2 for the Nashville Predators: "You feel a little bit betrayed, but I am sure he feels bad about it now and he looks back on it and wishes it didn't happen. Those are the things you can't take back and we've got to move forward." [ Examiner ] • Pekka Rinne on Radulov and the curfew issue: "It didn't affect as much as media made it seem like. The way I see it, Radulov joining the team mid-season affected the atmosphere more than the incident that happened in the playoffs." [ On The Forecheck ] • Milan Hejduk is back with the Colorado Avalanche for one year and $2 million. Says Dater: "Yeah, I'm a little concerned about where/what Hejduk's role might be. I mean, it's a little worrisome to think he'll be relied upon perhaps as a top-six forward. And yet, would he really be effective on a third or fourth line? Those are questions Joe Sacco will have to grapple with next season." [ All Things Avs ] • Great work here by Nick Cotsonika on burgeoning New York Rangers star and rookie sensation Chris Kreider. [ Y! Sports ] • Ryan Callahan says his left hand isn't injured, despite blocking a shot with it back in the Ottawa series. [ NYDN ] • Darryl Sutter, on the growth of Los Angeles Kings forward Dwight King: "Growth?" Sutter said. "He's still 232 (pounds). After games, he's 228." [ LA Kings Insider ] • Kerry Fraser on embellishing players in the postseason: "The Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs is not the time for the referees to strap on the six guns in an effort to clean up embellishment in Dodge. The refs must however, ramp up their radar and if any doubt is created in their mind as to the legitimacy of a foul, then I would suggest they keep their arm down and play on. I also hope they will seize every opportunity to enforce obvious embellishment by calling a penalty (whether as a 'stand alone' penalty or a coincidental minor when embellishment occurs as the aftermath to a legitimate foul)." [ TSN ] • John MacKinnon torches the Edmonton Oilers for firing Tom Renney. "This move — anticipated as it was — was a long, slow slap in the face to a coach who deserved better. If you're the incoming man, it would be wise to at least ponder the fashion in which the Oilers will ultimately dump you. That might help you decide whether you want to accept the job in the first place." [ Journal ] • David Staples does much the same: "My bottom line on Renney? He earned a new deal. He made a few big miscalculations, but much more was going right than wrong under his direction." [ Cult of Hockey ] • From Black Dog: "The Oilers are like the opposite of that and maybe this should be their master plan. Howson has already destroyed Columbus. Maybe Messier can take over the Rangers and Prendergast can move to Chicago. Let Tambo move back to Vancouver and Buchberger coach the Avs. Let them go forth and multiply and take their special brand of incompetence to the rest of the league, like the Black Plague, destroying franchises as they alight from their private jets, just as flea ridden rats destroyed cities as they swarmed ashore from ships manned by infected doomed sailors." [ BDHS ] • Ellen Etchingham on the Los Angeles Kings: "These Kings, they just look so brilliant. So clearly and completely and definitively ass-whoopingly eye-catchingly heart-liftingly brilliant. They play the way I'd always hoped a Cup-winning team would play. They play like they are actually so much better than everyone else that they ( *gasp* ) deserve to win. There's still a part of me that can't wholly believe they're for real. There's a part of me that's still tensed for the inevitable fall. But, nevertheless, I hope. I would like to see a team take the Cup this decisively, in less than twenty games. I want to see a juggernaut victory." [ Backhand Shelf ] • Alex Ovechkin was named the 11th most marketable athlete internationally in 2012. [ Alex Ovetjkin ] "A finalized lease agreement with a potential Phoenix Coyotes buyer has yet to emerge publicly but a Glendale City Council majority appears poised to approve a $17 million fee to operate the city-owned arena." [ AZ Central ] • Hopefully, when Daniel Alfredsson says he may have played his last competitive game, he means all 82 games next season for the Ottawa Senators (plus playoffs) are blowouts. [ Senators Extra ] • Finally, the New York Mets all wore hockey jerseys on their road trip to Canada. Expected to see more Islanders sweaters, given that both franchises have been living off the glory of the 1980s for decades… ( Kukla )Source: Yahoo! Sports
As the Los Angeles Kings have pushed to within one win of the Stanley Cup Final, there have been some growing pains for local TV media. Please recall the Kings/Kings logo gaffe that led to an on-air apology, for example. On Thursday night, Fox 11 in Los Angeles took it to a whole new level with a train-wreck of a highlight package after the Kings' Game 3 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. Watch and wince: So, in summary: • Just because there's a hockey team playing in the basketball arena, celebrities still show up in Los Angeles. • "Anje Kopidor." • "The Kings still have the ball." Leading to the awkward "let's throw out other non-hockey sports terms as a comedic smokescreen," leading to the reporter rightfully identifying this debacle as "terrible." • "Brad Doty" says "not tonight." Not Brad Daugherty. Not Drew Doughty. Not Larry Doby. Brad Doty. • Finally, the station throws up the NHL's pre-lockout logo, for good measure. In fairness, the score and the teams were right, and the network at no point swapped out the hockey footage for a squirrel riding water skis. But that's about it. s/t Félix LévesqueSource: Bleacher Report
When you find yourself trailing three games to none in a playoff series such as the Phoenix Coyotes presently are in the NHL Western Conference Finals, odds are there are a number of reasons why the team finds itself in such a hole.
Such as the fact that the Coyotes had the misfortune to run into a sudden buzzsaw of a Los Angeles Kings squad that has gone 11-1 in the postseason, blowing through the West's best teams like they were made of tissue paper after barely making the playoffs at all. Until the Coyotes briefly took the lead in the second period of Game 3, Los Angeles hadn't trailed in almost 18 periods.
That's almost six games folks. From the West's supposed eighth seed.
Of all the Coyotes' issues right now, the most pressing one is a problem that there is unfortunately no quick answer for. Phoenix found a way around this shortcoming during the regular season, but it seems destined to make the Coyotes the latest victims of a Los Angeles sweep when the teams next meet on Sunday.
At a time when the Coyotes are desperate for offense the team needs someone they can depend on to put the biscuit in the basket, a top-line scoring threat that can put a modicum of pressure on the supremely confident Kings.
The only problem with that is that Phoenix doesn't have one, and hasn't really had one all season long. Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic reports that while the team was able to succeed with a group that was more than the sum of its' parts earlier this year, the lack of a superstar may be catching up to the Coyotes at the worst possible time.
During the regular season, one of the more-intriguing story lines about the Coyotes' success involved accountability. The lack of superstars made each player embrace his role. Deep in the playoffs, however, accountability isn't enough. Having a go-to guy counts, too.
Just ask the Kings. They extended their series lead to 3-0 at Staples Center when Dwight King broke a 1-1 tie with his fourth goal of this series. Fourth.
The Coyotes have just three goals total in three games.
This lack of firepower isn't necessarily the fault of the team, as the NHL's stewardship of the Coyotes this season while the league searched for a buyer for the team severely hamstrung the front office financially. General Manager Don Maloney did the best he could with what he had, but the talent disparity between the Kings and Coyotes has been glaringly apparent in this series.
The Phoenix Coyotes enjoyed their most successful season in the Valley in 2011-2012, winning a playoff series for the first time since relocating from Winnipeg.
However, you're not going to win many playoff games against a white-hot team if you can't light the lamp, and the Coyotes' lack of offensive firepower seems set to end their 2012 playoff run with a thud.
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Yahoo! Sports
A turn to drafting and development, rather than simply throwing money at free agents, has the led to wins in New York in L.A.Source: Bleacher Report
His team trailing in the Western Conference playoffs two games to none, Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan stepped up and set a tone for Thursday night’s Game 3 on his first shift. In fact, his play constituted the evening’s first scoresheet entry.
Unfortunately, it was for an unnecessary roughing infraction after a scrum along the neutral-zone boards with Los Angeles Kings forward Jarret Stoll.
Hardly the right way to start the night, especially when one’s team is in a de facto must-win situation and when one just escaped supplemental discipline for a boarding infraction in Game 2. Not to mention when one’s team has only just won each of its first two playoff rounds in half a century and in one’s 17-year tenure with the franchise.
Thursday’s opening frame would end scoreless, and the Coyotes happened to break the ice via David Langkow at 1:03 of the second period.
In turn, it is hard to argue that Doan’s lack of discipline in the wee phases of the game hurt Phoenix’s cause by night’s end.
Then again, after Langkow struck, the Kings perked up for two unanswered goals en route to a 2-1 victory and a commanding 3-0 upper hand in the series. And Doan was held without a shot on goal, with his only attempt going wide, so it is impossible to claim that the captain did much to help the Coyotes.
If there were any bright spots, one would be that Doan landed an unfathomable 11 body-checks in his 18:30 of ice time. But his energy and urgency could stand to be distributed with a little more balance.
Through three games in the series with Los Angeles, Doan has one assist and 19 penalty minutes, committing three infractions to match the number of goals his mates have scored on Jonathan Quick.
As a consequence of such shallow scoring and a rash of undisciplined resorts, the Coyotes face the specter of spilling everything they had percolated over the first two rounds in the quickest possible fashion.
Unless Doan finds a way to regroup internally and help his teammates regroup externally, he will squander what may ultimately be his only head-turning shot at a Stanley Cup.
In Doan’s career with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise, his team has faced elimination in 11 playoff games, going 3-8 in that scenario. Since Doan assumed the captaincy in 2003, they have gone 1-2 in do-or-die games, all against the Detroit Red Wings within the last three years.
Simply put, the Coyotes must improve to 7-8 and 5-2 in those categories if they are to sustain their 2011-12 season. But they cannot claim that they have had no suitable simulation of this exact situation.
The 35-year-old Doan, who has spent nearly half of his time on Earth working in Phoenix, is the chief reason why the Coyotes have been this year’s best NHL feel-good story through at least the halfway mark of the playoffs. He finally had a chance to stretch a campaign deep into May, when, at one point, there were doubts that his team would even be playing beyond the first week of April.
Mired in the middle of the non-playoff pack and only one game above .500 when February began, the Coyotes went on a 20-6-5 tear through the final two months of the regular season. They did so with the knowledge that every game essentially influenced the longevity of their season, as evidenced by the fact that they stamped their playoff passport with one game remaining.
In the postseason, the same basic principle applies. Every win emboldens a team’s posture, and every loss nudges one closer to spring cleaning in the locker room.
Phoenix did little more than carry on its February/March trend through the first two rounds, dumping Chicago and Nashville and posting a cumulative 8-3 record.
But this Sunday will mark the first time since, well, their last playoff run where the Coyotes’ continuity will depend directly on the outcome of the game. Even if they amass three consecutive victories, the same ground rules will apply for a week.
It is a lowdown new to this season, but not to most of these players and certainly not to Doan. And it will be on him, first and foremost, to replenish the same winning formula that salvaged the season and granted him this long-awaited, but now fast-fading, opportunity.
Read more Phoenix Coyotes news on BleacherReport.com
Source: Yahoo! Sports
After his team took four minor penalties in the third period of their Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes Coach Dave Tippett used his postgame press conference to bemoan the "dishonesty" that's crept into the NHL when it comes to embellishment. "When it's done well, it's very hard for the referees, because if you fall down near the boards, or you drop your stick or you throw your head back, you're putting the referee in a very tough situation," he said. Before blocked shots because the soapbox topic du jour in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, diving and embellishment were being hotly debated. Brad Marchand's embellishment earned inspired a lowlight reel on YouTube . Ryan Kesler's tumbleweed dive against the Kings became a point of ridicule. Like Tippett said: Every team, including his, attempts to draw penalties. And some players are better at it than others. Who is drawing the most penalties in the 2012 NHL playoffs? Glad you asked.Source: Five For Howling by Carl Putnam
The Phoenix Coyotes couldn't solve the playoff riddle that is the LA Kings again on Thursday night. Phoenix will try on Sunday afternoon to find a way to avoid getting swept in front of a network TV audience. There was good news off the ice on Thursday as Mike Sunnucks from the Phoenix Business Journal reported Greg Jamison may be inching closer to becoming the team's owner. See the link below in 'Coyotes News' for details.
While there is no NHL hockey tonight, don't fear hockey fans. The NHL Network is showing the first game of the Memorial Cup live at 4 p.m. MST today.
Links after the jump...
Coyotes vs.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
After he complimented the Los Angeles Kings for their play in the Western Conference final and talked about how too many of his players haven't been able to reach the next level of play in a series they now trail 3-0, Phoenix coach Dave Tippett was asked about the officiating in Thursday's 2-1 loss.Source: Yahoo! Sports
Los Angeles continued its dominant roll with a Game 3 decision over Phoenix in the West final, moving within one win of a title shot and a chance at history.Source: AZCentral.com
Boivin: Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Kings in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals confirmed there are some things simply out of the control of Coyotes coach Dave Tippett.Source: Yahoo! Sports
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The giant-killing Los Angeles Kings extended their magical playoff run, moving to just one win from their first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1993 with a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday. With Dwight King's go-ahead goal 1.47 minutes into the third period breaking the deadlock, the eighth-seeded Kings took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference final. ...
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