The Coyotes started the year strong, brought in Taylor Hall and gave their fans something long withheld from them: hope.
Alas, thy dream is over.
When they lost the Calgary Flames last night, the Coyotes season all but ended.
They are now five points out of the last divisional spot.
They trail the Canucks by two, but those Canucks have two games in hand.
That essentially gives them one last shot at the playoffs, with three teams to fight for it.
Given their entire game depends on their goalie stopping 93% of the shots, I don't see it happening.
It's a shame too, given that acquiring Taylor Hall was the single most exciting thing this team has done in its entire existence.
But one has to ask: what was the point in doing that only to stand pat at the deadline?
The Coyotes have allowed 3 or more goals in a game this year 36 times, and they won only six of those games. If you cannot win games where you fail to hold your opponent to two or less goals, then you are not a good team.
No one expects a winning record when you allow three goals, but you've got to go more than one in six.
This team can't score, they don't play in a way that gives them the puck enough, they make terrible lineup decisions constantly and they put too much stock in grinding and not enough in talent.
They also seem stuck between going for it and winning now. I don't know what the point was in going after Hall only to keep all your prospects and stand pat.
I don't think teams should build for the future constantly, and it makes sense to go for it almost every time, but if you're going to try and win, you can't half ass it.
And that's the Coyotes problem - they don't do anything full throttle; they always split the difference.
They need to pick a lane.