Tonight the Coyotes are at home to the Panthers. The Coyotes will look to continue their recent hot play against a Florida team that they beat 3-1 last Tuesday in Florida.
The Panthers are 3-4 since re-acquiring goalie Robert Luongo at the trade deadline. Luongo is coming off one of the best games of his career where he stopped 52 of 54 shots in a 3-2 win against the Sharks on Tuesday. Too bad for him he has to contend with the no longer concussed Martin Erat and his two goals.
Phoenix has won 4 of their last 5 games, but were lucky to escape LA with a win the other night in a game in which they did not play well but received some fortunate bounces and some great goaltending.
The win vs LA allowed the Coyotes to put two points between themselves and the Stars for the final playoff spot in the conference. Dallas plays tonight against the Flyers.
If the playoffs were to start today, the Coyotes would face the Blues. They remain 5 points behind both the Wild and Kings in their quest to provide themselves with a better match-up, although catching the Kings would only secure them with a first round match-up with the Sharks, so that might actually be counter productive, assuming that the Ducks hold on to first place in the division.
No matter if they finish 3rd in the division or if they get a wild card spot, the best situation for the Coyotes - assuming they make the playoffs - would be to play the Ducks, a team I feel is not quite the equal of LA, Chicago, St.Louis or the Sharks.
Mike Smith will make his tenth straight start. Somebody will back him up but I no longer remember what his name is.
As mentioned, Martin Erat will be back in the lineup, which, honestly, who cares? I guess he is a helpful player, although I still think that it was a cheapo move to get him, since he has a cap hit that is more next year than he is actually paid, and since, you know, he has two goals this year.
People like to make a big deal that the all-Czech line will makes it's debut tonight. I think people must not have anything interesting to talk/write about. Does anyone actually really care where players are born? In the year 2014? Oh wow they all were born in the same country and will thus have magical ESP-like chemistry!!!
Ummmm....I just don't have the vocabulary to express how stupid and illogical a line of thinking this is.....I am going to give Dave Tippet the benefit of the doubt and assume that since he has the intelligence to become an NHL coach, that their dressing as a trio has more to do with a dearth of top-six forwards on the team and not some bizarre idea that people who come from the same country are magically suited to join together like some kind of Czech Republic version of a Power Ranger and dominate a hockey game. Keep in mind if this were the case you could just put any three players from any Olympic team and have instant chemistry.
End rant. ---
Good news today for the Coyotes as they signed college free agent forward Greg Carey to a one year contract (effective next season) and are reportedly (according to TSN) also courting his brother Matt. Greg Carey is the leading scorer on the St. Lawrence University hockey team and his brother Matt is second.
Greg Carey will report to the Portland Pirates - the Coyote's AHL affiliate - for the remainder of the year.