Follow @james_tanner123 The Coyotes won Wednesday against the Ducks - and what was more surprising than the Coyotes beating the Ducks for the third time this season was that Antoine Vermette scored two goals in the same game.
The woefully overrated Coyotes centre scored his first goal (although on the power-play)in 15 games on Wednesday and then added a stat padding empty netter. Sure, Vermette has been injured, but the decline of his game goes much deeper than that. He's a 46 % possession player with zero 5v5 goals, one assist, and a minus 16 scoring chance differential.
The good news about Wednesday's win had very little to do with the actual result of the game. The fact is, the Coyotes would not only have to defy the peripheral stats for an entire season to make the Playoffs, but they'd have to do so while rostering one centre (Hanzal) deserving playing on an NHL team above the fourth line. Since that is the case, positive results, while fun, are of little consequence.
What is worth recognizing was that for what I am pretty sure was the first time (at least for an entire game) the Coyotes played Domi and Duclair together for an entire game at even-strength.
On Wednesday, centred by Dustin Jeffrey, the line put up a 63% CF and was absolutely dominant with Duclair scoring a goal and Domi getting an assist (and adding a second one on the PP). So this is a fantastic development, because if the Hanzal line continues to perform then the Coyotes will have two effective scoring lines for the first time all season.
Yes, the second line has scored, but with a high shooting percentage and bad possession. By splitting up the two forwards they have who seem to have strong possession no matter who they play with (Hanzal and Duclair) the Coyotes are a better team. And, if Domi and Duclair are good enough, they can get by with a Jeffry playing centre until something better comes along.
One negative: Though he finally made better lines, Tippett still deployed them like a crazy person. You have Max Domi and Anthony Duclair on a line that is killing it, so why did Richardson, Vermette and Martinhook play an equal amount? Not that they were bad - they had a great game - but why not use your excellent players more than your average ones?
I just think that in a year that is about developing the players who will be here going forward, it makes no sense to play a declining veteran over one of the NHL's best rookies.
Anyways, it will be interesting to see if the team continues to play Duclair and Domi together at even-strength, which they should.