The Coyotes play the Capitals tonight for the second and final time this year. In the team's first meeting the Capitals blew a two goal lead and lost 6-5 to the surprisingly offensive Coyotes.
That victory sent the Coyotes on a as-of-today season high three game winning streak. Then they promptly lost three in a row. Now, if they win tonight, it's another three game winning streak.
I don't know if there's meaning in there, but it's something.
Anyways, today the Coyotes placed rookie Brandon Gormley on the IR and recalled the recently waived Dave Schlemko. There is no word yet on how long Gormley will be out.
Also on the injury front, the Moss Man is skating with the team, but is still in his non-contact sweater and Klinkhammer is also out.
In their place we should see the debut of Lucas Lessio, according to Sarah McLellan who gives us these lines from the pre-game skate.
#Coyotes looking like this: 28-50-89/8-11-10/38-9-19/22-14-44/23-4/6-5/20-26. Chipchura extra.
— Sarah McLellan (@azc_mclellan) November 18, 2014Let's break it down:
Line One: Korpikoski -Vermette- Boedker
I hate this line. Korpikoski is a third liner and Vermette should not be on the top line either. Boedker should be skating with Hanzal or Gagner (or both) and really, this is why we lose. Worst top line in hockey.
Worse still, is that it completely neutralized their best player by playing him with guys who lack offensive talent.
Line Two: Rieder- Hanzal - Erat
I like this one a bit more, at least. I like to see Rieder getting some good minutes, but Hanzal should be playing with Boedker because those are the Coyotes two best forwards, and there is no debate. Erat is good defensively, but so is anyone in the NHL who doesn't score a lot. He's basically useless and I can't wait till they get rid of him. On the other hand, playing a shutdown line of Korpiskoski- Vermette - Erat would be pretty stellar, especially if Tippett matched it against other teams top lines and got Hanzal/Boedker against some weaker competition.
Line Three: Lessio - Gagner - Doan
A solid line that I actually like. Although, again, I'd have Gagner higher in the line-up skating more minutes trying to see what I really had in him. Besides that though, this line is pretty exciting. It also gets Doan off the top line which is important. Sentimentality doesn't win you games.
Line Four McMillan - Vitale - Crombeen
I would still like to see what McMillan can do with more ice and I hate the fact that Crombeen is even on the team. Vitale I like, and if he's your 4C you have an edge over a lot of teams, so that's good. A decent line for the eight minutes they're apt to play.
Overall, it's always a treat to watch Ovechkin play and I love the fact that the last game these two teams played was 6-5. I hope tonight is of a similar barn-burning style.
Mike Smith is back in net despite two straight stellar performances by Devon Dubnyk. Not the choice I would have made, but then again, no one has ever asked me why I don't coach the team.
To close out, I just want to say that I hate the Foo Fighters oh so very much, and also, I hope the Coyotes win tonight.
Thanks for reading. And a happy National Hacky-Sack Day, National Polka-day and of course, National Day-Day to you and yours.