Follow @james_tanner123 I was gonna make a blog about New Years Resolutions........just kidding I would never do that. I hate new years almost as much as I hate Halloween, the beach, social media, people who take pictures of their food, the Winter Classic, Jerks, working on weekends, working in general, Ted Cruz , Donald Trump, people who try to only associate with people who agree with them, people who call people who need help "takers," and I don't know.....Bryan Adams. etc
So New Years is crap. But I still really like hockey and writing up these blogs (even though I only pretend to take hockey so seriously) I hope you dig reading them. I hope in some way I can write these and someone will feel some level of friendliness, belonging, brotherhood or love.
I hope y'all had a great holiday season. I know I did. Honestly, my kids are 7 and 3 and I wish I could just freeze time. I don't what I did to get this life, but I hope I can in some way do something just once to deserve it.
Anyways, sorry about the dime-store philosophizing, let's talk some hockey.
The Coyotes ended 2015 by beating the Winnipegs 4-2. Shane Doan set the franchise record and it was generally a feel good moment.
Except (and some people aren't gonna want to hear this): Domingue made 37 saves and stole the game for the Coyotes, who played like total crap. The possession numbers were astonishing: 62 to 24. Essentially the Jets had the puck for 2/3s of the game and still lost.
I think the biggest story in the NHL should be that the team who's centres are Martin Hanzal, Antoine Vermette, Brad Richardson, Boyd Gordon, Victor Tikhono and Kyle Chipchura is currently in a Playoff Spot.
For the uninitiated, that is indisputably the worst lineup of centres in the NHL, even when the only good one (Hanzal) is not injured, which is practically never. (He supposedly won't play tonight, but is on the road trip. As it's only a matter of time before he re-injures himself, I include this only as a courtesy to the most optimistic of readers).
People keep writing to me and saying some kind of variation on the following: "Jim, you are an idiot. The Coyotes are winning and in a playoff spot, so they must be playing good. The roster must be better than you say. The coach, at least, deserves credit."
Now, they don't follow this up with any kind of analysis or proof, they just assume that their logical fallacies and statements are good enough. They aren't. So let me help y'all out:
1. Hanzal is a 49% possession player. Tikhonov is 47%. All other Coyotes' centres are 45% or worse. That is not so good. (Vermette has 1 ES goal).
2. The team has two positive possession players (Duclair, Reider). Pathetic.
3. The second highest team shooting percentage in hockey. This is propping up an offense that is somehow ranked 10th in the NHL. The team with the 29th most shots per 60 should not be 10th in NHL scoring.
4. The Coyotes' 30.7 shots against per 60 minutes is tied for 3rd worst in hockey.
5. The Coyotes 46.6 CF% is 3rd worst in the NHL.
So, to be clear, there are people who want to credit the coach for winning when the team allows close to the most shots, plays the most time in their own end and gets among the least amount of shots for themselves.
The evidence that the Coyotes are / have been the luckiest team in the NHL is overwhelming. As much as evidence can prove anything, this has been proven.
It's insane.
But hey, I don't mind. I am happy to see the team win, I just wish it was sustainable. And - this is just personal - I do sorta also wish that people didn't think objectively reporting on facts was some form of "hating."
Actually, you should ignore or cut out of your life anyone who uses the phrase 'hater' or 'hating' as it's immature and pathetic to label anyone who criticizes you as some kind of nonobjective jerk who just hates anything you say no matter it's worth.
Criticism isn't an insult. "Haters" do not exist. It's just a made up phrase that people use because they think that anyone who disagrees with them is a jerk. People constantly disagree with me - like a lot - and guess what? They can't all be jerks. I probably have some seriously legitimate faults.
I know the Coyotes do, and I know I don't hate them.
But I also know that people just want to love their team and enjoy some wins when they happen. There is no reason to take it seriously, break it down and care about whether a win was deserved or not. Stats can be boring. I get that. So no hard feelings if that's how you want to enjoy the game.
Myself, I cringe at the horrible analysis mainstream media offers us and try to provide something a little better. (It ain't that hard, to be honest).
Either way kids, stay hydrated.
Have a happy new years. Coyotes and Oilers in an afternoon game. Can't wait.
Thanks for reading.