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Phoenix Gets Hot In The Stretch
by PuckStopsHere on 03/22/10 at 09:49 AM ET
Comments (3)
As teams in the NHL have ten games or less left this season, now is the important time for teams to get hot. The hottest team right now is the Cinderella team - the Phoenix Coyotes. They have won their last nine games straight. They are a team that has been through a bankruptcy and are being kept alive by NHL ownership this season.
They are a team that finished third from last in the West Conference last season. Last year at mid-season, Phoenix looked like a playoff team until the rumors of financial problems began. They derailed the season. Wayne Gretzky was not a strong enough coach to keep things on track, but Dave Tippett is.
Phoenix has a good team and their 97 points tie them for first in the West Conference (which is a bit above their expected finish). Ilya Bryzgalov is one of the top goalies in the NHL. He is the NHL’s shutouts and wins leader this season.
They do have weaknesses. They do not have a top scorer. Shane Doan has 52 points to lead the team offensively. Their top defencemen by ice time are Zbynek Michalek and Adrian Aucoin. Neither is likely to be in Norris Trophy races.
Can Phoenix keep things going into the playoffs? Have they hit their peak a little bit too early? Are they contenders to make a Stanley Cup playoff run?
Filed in: | The Puck Stops Here | Permalink
Tags: Ilya+Bryzgalov, Phoenix+Coyotes,
Comments
Phoenix reminds me of the 96 Panthers.
Posted by steve on 03/22/10 at 12:21 PM ET
I think it’s promising that you can put together an inexpensive team without star players and be able to compete at the very top of the NHL. Hopefully, they’ll do well in the playoffs.
Posted by Moq from Denmark on 03/22/10 at 01:34 PM ET
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They’re a good team because they function as a team. They’re not a bunch of superstars or a few superstars and supporting cast. The method used by the NHL to promote the game is a failure, and ironically the team the league owns is the best argument against that strategy.
Posted by redxblack from Akron Ohio on 03/22/10 at 11:47 AM ET