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Coyotes Head Out on the Road, New D Combos and Gagner Movin' On Up

October 21, 2014, 1:25 PM ET [9 Comments]
James Tanner
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After a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of what is perhaps the league's deepest team, the St.Louis Blues, the Coyotes will look to rebound tonight in Nashville.

The game tonight is the first time the Coyotes have ventured out on the road this year. They started the season 2-2 in a four game home-stand. The Preds, who are yet to lose in regulation, sit 3-0-1 and seem to have taken a surge from the return of one of the NHL's best goalies - Pekka Rinne. He may be just one of the best goalies in hockey, but there is no question he has the absolute best name in professional sports. Pekka Rinne. It's just so fun to say.

For fans of hockey in general, this game will be a chance to see prized rookie Filip Forsberg. I remember hoping in vain several years ago that he would fall to the Coyotes, but that was a pipe-dream as he went 12th and the Coyotes didn't pick until 27th that year (Henrik Samuelsson).

Although Forseberg got into a few games last season, and the season before, he was not in a prominent role and should be skating on the first line tonight. Like I needed an extra reason to watch this game.

As for our 'Yotes, they will hopefully allow under 100 goals tonight for what seems like the first time all season. For some reason, Mike Smith has been playing like a demented giraffe, which is not the ideal farm animal for a goalie to emulate. I look forward to him acting like a human goalie and winning the game.

If I know anything about Mike Smith, it's that he doesn't like to allow 6 goals. Now, let's not get crazy here, because he did make a couple of saves on Saturday and the Coyotes were not winning that game even if he played well. Still, the numbers are bad and I fully expect a big rebound (the good kind) out of Smith tonight, assuming he plays.

HEY: what's this? Dubnyk is the first goalie off the ice? According to Sarah McLellen he is. I guess that means old Dubnyk is net then. Good for him. He can't possibly be any worse, and I liked his first game.

Hanzal was injured last game in what looked to be more painful than watching Nicholas Cage star in the musical Cats. He has a left knee and/or leg injury and it may keep him out. He is being listed as - what else? - day-to-day. I'll tell you what else is day-to-day: my patience with NHL injury secrecy.

His injury looked pretty bad, he didn't practice yesterday and I'll honestly be shocked if he plays tonight. The Coyotes clearly need him but this does give Gagner a chance to get away from Klinkhammer and Chipchura and whatever other offensive duds the coach has been saddling him with. Hopefully, I mean, you never know with Tippet - he may just decide to make B.J Crombeen his second line centre tonight......

.....Having just viewed the practice lines, I can confirm that Gagner is indeed moving up - he'll apparently be centering Erat (who is returning to Nashville, and, um, maybe they could leave him there?) and Korpikoski. This is an improvement, but only in the way that putting a hotel on Baltic Avenue is an improvement - it ain't Boardwalk baby!

Perhaps Erat will bust out of his coma and show some of his former moves against his former team. I kid about Erat, he is competent defensively and he did get a goal the other day. Either way, let's hope Samuelsson makes an appearance soon because Erat and Korpikoski are not exactly what you hope for out of second line wingers.

According to the practice lines (also provided by McLellan) Hanzal is out. I could erase the preceding paragraph about him, but from an artistic standpoint, I am just to proud of it. And, who knows, he might go? Maybe? Ok, doubtful.

The practice lines saw some interesting new developments: the defense pairings, if the practice lines hold, will be as follows:

OEL - Murphy
Michalek - Schlemko
Yandle - Stone

I like these lines, although I don't know how Tippett can resist putting OEL and Yandle together. However, I do like the idea of partnering the future stars with the current elite ones. Yandle played over 30 minutes on Saturday and OEL was right behind him. I like the idea of having Murphy and Stone paired up with the two big guys, as they both deserve a ton of minutes - not because they are playing particularly well, but because they have to eventually play those minutes, so chuck em into the fire is what I say.


Sounds good.

Thanks for reading.


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