We Got One!!!

It’s only one point, but you have to start somewhere. The Coyotes played a very spirited game against a very good team. The Detroit Red Wings are a very powerful team, but the Coyotes managed to show some dominating points in this contest. It showed a lot of character come right back against the defending champs. Trading power play goals late in the game gave the Coyotes a chance to grab a much-needed point. Bryzgalov had another solid performance, clouded by a weak third period goal. Upshall played another up-tempo game, and had a few scoring chances. At several points in the game the Coyotes were able to open things up and connect on some nice passes to finally get out of the zone. I watched the game from the Detroit feed, and the announcers put what I have been saying for weeks now perfectly. When the defensemen are getting the puck out of the zone, it may not be pretty but use the boards. This team is prone to giving up the puck in the defensive zone, and it seems almost half the times the opposing team scores. Other than that point, the rest of the broadcast was awful. I never realized how cocky the Wings announcers are on their broadcast. They focused on how the Coyotes talked about making the playoffs all off-season, and now they are just looking to the future for the entire first period. Well no one else really did much winning tonight in the West, so the Coyotes live to play another day. Next up on the schedule will be the Devils at the Rock in Newark, New Jersey. I will again be making the trek to the arena to see the boys play. Have a good night!

The Future

Obviously the theme for the rest of the season is the future. This team has plenty of youthful talent, and it’s only a matter of time before we see it flourish or collapse. While it is important to develop this youth, it is more important to surround the youth with some proven NHL talent. This idea is easier said than done, and even harder when your team is going through ownership issues. Spending money wisely will be the key to the off season, as it is in all our lives these days. In the next few days I will highlight some potential free agents that could fit this team well. From the poll, it is pretty apparent the Coyotes need help on defense This is a team that has some depth, but still could use an NHL veteran in each position. One way the Coyotes have saved money by bringing talent to the team is the draft. Well there is a way to by pass the draft, and help the team with a young puck moving defenseman. The young man’s name is Matt Gilroy.
Matt Gilroy is a senior defenseman at Boston University. Because he is older, Matt is a complete free agent. Players like Matt tend to go under the radar, but let me fill you in on the Terrier captain and fellow Long Islander. Gilroy is a player that has battled through tough times on and off the ice. When Gilroy was searching for colleges, he was told by the BU coach to look elsewhere for hockey. Gilroy walked on his freshman year and hasn’t looked back. But off the ice Gilroy faced tragedy, as his brother passed away at a young age. Gilroy will always wear number 97 in his brother’s honor. After having solid sophomore and junior seasons, Gilroy was expected to leave for the NHL. In fact, his coach told him to go take the NHL offers. Well in the end the BU coach actually gave away Gilroy’s scholarship to another player in anticipation of Gilroy’s exit to the NHL. Matt came back because he felt things ended badly the year before.
This season BU is a team favored to win it all. Gilroy has 8 goals and 21 assists, having a phenomenal season. Gilroy brings a lot to the table for a potential suitor. Gilroy is a smart player, but his best asset is his skating ability. Gilroy can move quickly in the defensive zone, and then making a solid first pass. This is something the Coyotes desperately need from any of their defenseman. Gilroy is going to be tough to grab because every NHL team is going to be making an offer. This is where Maloney needs to shine and convince this young man that he will be able to play right away under Gretzky, while competing for a playoff spot. Phoenix is one of the few teams in the NHL that can offer Matt a chance to play with players his age, while having the playoffs a realistic goal. Gilroy would be a much cheaper option than the free agent market. Cheap is something we all know will open Maloney’s eyes. But in all seriousness, Matt Gilroy can become a solid puck moving defenseman in the desert and the Coyotes need this man for the present and future.

Tough Loss

This afternoon the Coyotes played an exciting, but frustrating game. The match up of the two bottom feeding teams ended up a fast paced contest. Goaltender Tordjman had his first NHL start. He played a good enough game to give the Coyotes a chance to win, but still showed some nerves. On the other side of the ice Yan Danis played a very steady game. But in the end it seemed the same old story for the struggling Coyotes.
The defensive pairing of Jovo and Kalinin was absolutely atrocious all day in their own end. The pairing was responsible for two goals in this contest. One glaring mistake was a fast break by the Islanders where Tordjman directed a juicy rebound in front of an open net. This was not any help, but Jovanovski followed his man without the puck, and then decided to pull up and stare at the shooter as the rebound passed him to Josh Bailey, the young Islanders player. The Islanders were very quick on the fore check, and the Coyotes defenseman had no time to make smart decisions. The toughest thing for this team, seems to be escaping the defensive zone with a crisp connecting pass. Once again, this problem turned into a huge momentum shift for the Islanders. The Coyotes squad is too fragile to give up one goal, not to mention three in one period. The Coyotes had a strong first period, moving the puck well and battling through. Although they came out of the first period with the games first goal, failing on a 5 on 3 power play took the wind out of their sails. As soon as one fluke goal was let in, the floodgates opened to three goals.
Despite another loss, the Coyotes had a few positives that came out of the game. Tordjam was able to get out the butterflies of his first NHL game, and can now begin his career. The Coyotes have had no luck whatsoever this past month. Today’s game was no different. The Coyotes seemed to have a goal late in the third period, but the refs decided it was not a legal goal. Although this was defeating, they picked themselves up and got one more goal to cut the lead to one. Things will come around with the hard work they have put in these few weeks. The line of Upshall, Prucha and Lombardi seems to have some nice chemistry. Upshall has been impressive in his three games as a member of the Coyotes. The two goals are nice, but the fact that he has a lot of energy and speed has brought stability to whatever line he is on. Upshall also has shown a little grit to his game, and has a knack for sticking up for his teammates.
After hearing Don Maloney’s comments of preparing the cap for next season, you would think he has a few free agents in mind for July. Defense is a position Maloney will look to address, but I think this off season is a crucial one for the future of the organization. The crop of free agents are deep this year, and the Coyotes need to grab at least four players that can contribute regularly to the squad in 09-10. I will be following up the game summary with these four to six players necessary for a white out in 09-10.