The Coyotes will take on the Calgary Flames tonight in one of two games on the Schedule.
Arizona is 2-2 in their last four, with three games going to overtime. Supposing the second worst team in hockey wants a lesser chance at the #1 pick, I guess this is a good thing. The NHL tends to make you cheer against your team, which is unfortunate. But lets b real, that's what you gotta do.
Also good, the Coyotes have won five of eight. On the bad side, they still haven't won consecutive games this season in regulation. For you math nerds, and calendar freaks, today is February 13th.
Speaking of the date, it is my Dad's birthday. Happy Birthday, sir. Old Man Tanner, one of Cypress Hill's whitest fans, and ex-fan of eighties hair-metal, is a (now) sixty-year-old Rastafarian who just can't keep the kids off his lawn. When he's not listening to his sweet reggae jams or watching Law and Order, he enjoys seltzer water and a nice domestic dispute over the Tupperware Cupboard with my Mom.
Happy Birthday Pops.
The Coyotes are having a bad year. But I've been asked to try to keep some positives in mind. So I will. Here are five positive things about the Coyotes, right now.
1. Dylan Strome
Dominating the OHL for two years wasn't enough to earn him more than fourth line duty or usurp the might Martin Hanzal, so the Coyotes sent him back. (They scratched him for the season opening - way to sell the future, boys).
Good news: Strome is making the OHL his bitch. He has 44 points in 17 games. He's completely wasting his time, giving future Honda workers a story to tell, and mostly just making a mockery of the rules that won't even let him play in the AHL.
2. Trade Booty.
Smith, Stone, Hanzal, Goligoski (doubtful!) Murphy, Schenn, Vbrata, Doan.......if it ain't under 25 it should probably go. Or who knows, maybe I'm having illusions. Maybe they should re-sign Doan for another nine years.
Assuming the organization wants to maximize some assets, it should be a very busy trade deadline.
3. Claude Julien
He's still available.
4. Colorado PDO 96.8 (Corsica.hockey)
Yes, the Coyotes may be ten points back of the Avs for the best odds to draft Patrick Nolan (or reasonable facsimile) but they themselves have a PDO almost at 100.
The Avs suck, don't get me wrong. They just haven't had any luck and the Coyotes have. If things even out a bit and the Coyotes jettison a bunch of their vets, it could happen.
5. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
He has ten goals, and 30 points in 53 games. That's a 46 point pace while his two most common partners are Connor Murphy and Luke Schenn, and the 'first line' consists of Martin Hanzal and Jagr's step-dad Radem Vrbata.
OEL's Top Five Ice Time Withs: 1. Murphy 2. Sen Dogg (AKA Luke Schenn) 3. Rieder 4. Vrbata 5. Doan
Or, to put it another way, he's a decent team and partner away from being the best defenseman in the NHL. He is truly great to watch night in and night out.
So there you have it. Five excellent reasons why you should throw your set in the air and cheer for the Coyotes.
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