Last night in Phoenix the Coyotes failed to build off their success versus Calgary and came up short against the Wild, losing 4-1. The Coyotes came out strong, but even though they held the shot lead early, the Wild had three good scoring chances in the first half of the first period despite only having three shots up to that point. The Wild then scored the opening goal with under two minutes left in the first and never looked back. Failing to score was basically what cost Phoenix this game. (Which sounds really obvious, I know, but they had SO many good chances). They didn’t play bad, but Backstrom played great.
- Mike Smith, in a performance sure to elicit calls for more starts for Greiss, let in two goals he probably should have had, including one that saw him going down way too early (although, he was really screened so it is probably only because we expect Mike Smith to be some kind of magical goaltending wizard that we are perplexed when he looks human). Further to the point, both those goals came off of terrible defensive miscues, so it is really unfair to blame Smith too much. The other two goals weren’t remotely Smith’s fault, as one went in on a terrible bounce while he was out of the net and the other was while he was on the bench in favour of the extra attacker. Overall it is this writer’s opinion that in a game like hockey, you need to stick with talent and remember that short term results are not statistically relevant, despite how easy it is to get caught up in the immediate present. That means sticking with Smith.
- Much is being made about the fact that the Coyotes are now out of a playoff spot after this game, but frankly, that is ridiculous. The Coyotes maintain three games in hand over the Wild, so their not currently being in a playoff spot is merely a technicality. The Wild also happen to be severely depleted with injuries to three of their four best players (Koivu, Harding and Parise) so Phoenix should be able to make those three games count. Either way you look at it, the Coyotes are in tough to make the playoffs because the NHL is crazily unbalanced and the Western Conference is home to the majority of the best teams in the league. Neither the Wild, the Stars or the Coyotes are true Cup contenders and all are so close in terms of general talent and potential that anyone of them could end up with the final playoff spot- which if we can separate ourselves from our emotions might mean there are some good reasons to tear it down and take advantage of a great draft class. We will discuss the pros and cons of this in a later column.
- Despite the loss, the game had some positives for the Coyotes.
Number one was the return to the ice of Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He played just over 26 minutes and was of course the best player on the ice for the Coyotes. He had four shots and no points but, as usual, the more you pay attention to just him, the more impressed you will be. Last night, at one point he hit the post and was absolutely robbed by Backstrom on a sequence that happened about two seconds apart and which eventually lead to Phoenix's first (only) goal. Loss or not, getting OEL back healthy and – according to coach Dave Tippet – rested and 100%, is the most important thing for the organization.
Secondly, the emergence of Mikkel Boedker as a top line NHL player. He scored again last night, making that four goals in the last five games. He looks great every time he has the puck and is becoming just an absolute pleasure to watch game in and game out.
Finally, the Coyotes had 40 shots and quite a few of them were dangerous. As my esteemed colleague Tony Dean will probably tell you, Niklas Backstrom hasn’t been great this season. He certainly was last night. You can attribute about one and a half of the two points the Wild got last night directly to him. The other half point? Luck!
Some (mostly) non-Phoenix NHL thoughts:
- I happened to also catch the Leafs/Carolina game last night. It looks like the Leafs have quit on their coach. They should fire him. And, if Dan Girardi really is available, the Leafs, who need a top pairing defenseman worse than anyone, should do whatever it takes to get him.
- Jeff Skinner is just a fun player to watch. One of those guys who maybe does not get a ton of attention outside his market, but wow is he fast.
-It’s really nice to see one of my favorite players, Washington Defenseman Mike Green, pick up his game. He has back to back multi-point games and maybe (hockey pool fans) he can continue this pace. It would be nice, as Young Money, my hockey pool team, could use the second half surge.
- Too many games are going to a shootout. I’ll probably delve into this more in the future, but I am thinking that the NHL needs to eliminate the loser point, as games (especially cross-conference ones) basically suck to watch if it’s tied in the last five minutes of the third. This should be the best time to watch hockey, but since both teams really want at least one point, you can just go ahead and use this time to get that extra beer you will need for overtime and the shootout. This can’t be allowed to keep happening, as it hurts the integrity of the game.
-It’s hilarious to see so much controversy and hype over Olympic selections (and I’m as guilty as anyone) but has anyone mentioned the truth? That Canada’s team is ridiculous to the point of almost ruining the tournament. If Canada wins, it’s like Homer winning at poker with the ‘Royal Sampler’ when he’s the leader of the Stone Cutters. If they lose, it’s a national disaster. And yet, the fact remains that anything can happen in a short tournament where variance and luck are more significant factors than skill. If this tournament were longer, Canada would win almost every time. Obviously it’s cool that anyone can win in short tourney, but how much does a win or a loss really mean when luck is so significant of a factor?
-Finally, if Sam Gagner is indeed on the trade block, the Coyotes have to get him. Edmonton needs D and the Coyotes have tons. It’s a perfect match and I believe that Sam Gagner has it in him to be an elite player in the NHL. Let me know what you think!
Thanks for Reading.