Don't look now, but the Coyotes have a game in hand! Yes, they sit two points back of the Dallas Stars, but after losing last night to the Blue Jackets, the Stars are down to their final two games, one of which is against Phoenix on Sunday.
Tonight the Stars are off and the Coyotes have a chance to tie them up when they face the Predators tonight in Nashville. In a lucky break, the Stars themselves personally eliminated the Predators the other night, ironically offering the Coyotes an easier game tonight.
Tonight's game will be no easy task. The Coyotes are still reeling from giving up two points in OT/Shootouts in the past two games. Thomas Griess has been admirable in his role as the starter, but those two points are on him. Against Edmonton he misplayed a puck behind the net which lead directly to the Oilers sending the game to OT and against Columbus he let in a terribly soft floater from the circle to give Columbus the lead late.
I hate to knock the guy because he really has done better than anyone could have expected, but he has to better if the Coyotes want to make the Playoffs.
It would be really easy to just totally give up on this team, what, with them losing five in a row at the absolute worst time of the season. It is, imperative, however, to remember that those five games feature three overtime loses, and that those games could have gone the other way with no difference in play.
What I mean, is, it's not so bad. They have been more unfortunate than anything, and that includes losing their best player, Mike Smith, to an injury at the worst possible time. If anything, this team should be credited for being one of, if not the most resilient team in the NHL.
Speaking of that resiliency, it will be needed again tonight as Smith and Hanzal will both be out tonight. I hate to say it, but Hanzal is too injured, too often, and I would bet money that he gets traded to another team this summer and then goes on a five year streak of not missing any games.
It is also noteworthy - I guess - that fringe NHLer and key deadline acquisition Martin Erat will play his first game back in Nashville tonight since being traded to the Coyotes. He did score his third goal of the season the other night, so maybe I should cut him some slack, and honestly, it's not that I don't like him, I am just bitter that he was the best Maloney could or would do for a team that is desperate for scoring and that is still able to make the playoffs despite not being able to score. In fact, if the Coyotes had not massively padded their offensive stats in October, its reasonable to think they would be among the league's lowest scoring teams.
I also maintain bitterness towards Erat because of the optics of his deal: he makes less money than his cap hit, thus giving the appearance of spending, while actually costing much less. New ownership and all, I know, but for a team with a reputation of penny-pinching, I can't get over feeling this is just more of the same. I think they should have overpayed to get Vanek, just to make the point that things are different now, but I digress.
If, like me, you live on the East Coast (though no where near a coast, technically) you probably don't care, but if you live in Arizona, it probably sucks that the game today is on at 5:00 pm. Hopefully you remembered to tape it before you left for work!
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