We got outshot and out worked for the first two periods. Left the ice both times outshot by 10 sogs. Telly performed well facing 18 and stopping 17 of them.

ABBY came in at the second half of the second period and only faced 8 shots but let in 2 of them. OUCH!

In the 3 – 2 loss only Kapi (in the third w/ assists from Z and Carcillo) and Rhino (in the second w/ assts from JV and TQ) were able to get by Budaj (who played the whole game).

While Sakic, Brunette and Arnason took advantage of us for the Avs. The third period offense was led by Weller with 5 or so shots. But Kapi would end up as 1st star of the game! imagine that…

Boynton led the mini parade to the sin bin with 2 for hooking. 5 penalties isn’t too bad in a hard fought contest, fortunately the Avs were only able to capitalise on one of them. Kapi and Rhino led the FO percentage wins (both over the 70% range).

Is Ballard ever going to realise he’s really not a goalie?

The FAN feed was streamed by liquid compass…don’t bother using them if the AVs fans complaints are correct every game so far has had broken feed in the first period and rarely makes it past the first commercial….speakin of which I now officially HATE Sill-TerHar mazda, mazda, mazda. Anyone who tried to listen to the game knows exactly why.

Without Doan this team suffers from lack of leadership…again it seemed no one stepped up and took control. No DMO, no Donor, no Hanzal…ouch! But (and I’m sure you’ll get tired of hearing these words from me) at least it wasn’t a blow out.

Enough practices…Let’s Go Coyotes! See you all on Thursday! (when the blog will hopefully have a new home) I’ll let you all know.

Thanks for coming by, I really appreciate it, hopefully the new home will be even more entertaining.

***all the nice photos taken by Will Powers of the AP***

OK we are 3 – 1 – 3 now. Not bad for a buncha kids, 3 back up tenders and no real offense.

Our Roster:

Forwards
Radim Vrbata – Mike York – Shane Doan
Daniel Carcillo – Peter Mueller – Bill Thomas
Daniel Winnik – Martin Hanzal – Craig Weller
Mathias Tjarnqvist – Steven Reinprecht – Mike Zigomanis

Defensemen
Keith Ballard – Zbynek Michalek
Matt Jones – Derek Morris
Brendan Bell – Nick Boynton

Goaltenders
David Aebischer (starting)
Alex Auld

Yeah I know its only the preseason but c’mon admit it, how many of you woulda bet we would be a whole lot worse?

The team showed discipline and heart all night long. We outshot them 28 – 11. We outplayed them in their zone, in the neutral and in our zone. We actually capitalised on a PP. We killed the PK without breakin a sweat.

Boynk had a beautimous steal and outlet!!! He’s gettin better every game (I guess he and Jovo don’t like gettin outplayed by a buncha kitlings)

We gave up first blood again in the first 3 minutes when the Halpern line went to work and Jo-el Lundqvist scored on a rebound from Jonesy’s skate. (Jo-el? sounds like a character from Superman) 1 – 0 Dallas. We play them to a standstill but can’t score until the last 10 seconds of the first when York drives hard to the net and he and Donor manage to beat Turco. 1 -1 Donor scorzes!

The second period is like a game of pong. We play turnabout as Hanzal scores in the first 3 minutes of the period on a play with DDoan and York. Hanzal scorzes! 2 -1 Yotes. The rest of the period is back and forth (mostly forth as we shell Turco 11 – 3). But the Halpern line struck again, this time w/ Barnes as the sniper. 2 – 2 game.

We went to OT and neither side could get the advantage. So off to the SO we went.

ShootOut:
Joel Lundquist squashed with authority by Auldie goin 5 hole

Hanzel, Turco save down low
Lessard (sounded like he stopped forward motion, which should have negated his turn but Auld took him and his high glove side shot away)
Vrbata, Turco save low shot left pad
Conner, save Auld
Doan, non-save Turco (Doaner lost the puck)

Zubov, scores (was the best Star on the ice all night, besides Turco)
Mueller, scores!
Robidas, scores

York, Turco save

We really need to work on getting bodies in front of the net (sogs are fantastic…we got the quantity part down pretty well, now we need to work on puttin them in the basket), we could’ve taken 2 wins if our PP could find some urgency…although they did well on the first PP of the night, 1 of 5 is not enuff. And our 2 man advantage? just eeewww. It was awesome listening to the other team’s announcers talk about us with respect. We are fast, we have discipline, we have heart and we are not to be taken lightly.

KUDOS to Carcillo who refused to go w/ Barch even when provoked… led to our PP goal. Thats 2 games where Carci kept his head and helped us gain a PP. He’s learning folks….let’s hope he can keep it up.

Next stop Colorado on Saturday.

PS: Hey Chad – I really wouldn’t call gettin 3 sogs in the last seconds b4 OT ‘flooding the net’ but hey! I like hyperbole as much as the next Coyotes fan.

You gotta love ‘em.

First let me say that the Yotes really listen to the fans. Nearly everything I whined, or bitched actually, about to the COO Doug Moss has been done or is being done.

The creativity of the web presence has been addressed with things like: www.myspace.com/phoenixcoyoteshockeyclub and new features like this: http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=336660&page=NewsPage&service=page

We have new billboards all around the valley. Haven’t seen any new TV ads (like during the DBacks games or during the past WNBA championship run) but hopefully they’re underway…and maybe a new special?

Darren Pang is getting in on the act with a blog on hockeybuzz.com…(they had no Yotes presence…I volunteered but I may be a little too long winded or just plain old mouthy for that site, so they just ignored me). http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=9619

But someone in the organisation has had a light bulb blow a fuse after the Penguins did their players delivering season tix jaunt because your Coyotes players are calling folks personally to ask for their support for the upcoming season! Gotta love ‘em. C’mon, who could say no to Z?

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=338443

EDIT: Pics from Andie are up - http://www.flickr.com/photos/9302501@N02/sets/72157602175262693/

Our major biscuit winners (so far) were out and we outshot the Oil 40 – 23. We played in their zone most of the night. With a wee bit better goal tending in the shoot out this would have been our 4th win. (Gotta give Auldie credit for the great save on Sandy’s breakaway though). With no Donor, Carcillo or Z we should have gotten the crap kicked out of us but we never gave up and battled hard all game. We hit more posts and had more pucks ride the crease line than I could even believe. Everyone except Dwin and Auld took at least one shot tonight (and Auld tried to shoot one all the way down). York and Mueller were over the 50% mark on face offs which ain’t to shabby, with Rhino and Kapi just under that.

Great game, very entertaining. The crowd (all 15 of us) were on our feet cheering and boisterous. The 3 Oilers fans were totally drowned out.

Jovo actually had a very good game w/ no major gaffes (nice speed and no blue line flubs tonight) and his hard nosed D against Torres was awesome. Bally needs to get his game together (he was easily the worst of the defense tonight) except his turn at goalie. Dmo also looked real good although he could have let fly from the line a bit more.

The little dachshund Niko Kapanen did what the big dawgs couldn’t do and scored our only goal. Once again our PP had no urgency. The Grease…oh pardon me…the Oil handed us so many PPs and once again we tried for that ‘perfect’ setup. When are these coaches gonna stop emphasizing the cycle and tell them boys to shoot more often and pick up any garbage that will inevitably fly loose?

Thomas didn’t do it again tonight (the kid is running out of chances to cement his spot).

Lisin again was mostly defensive and passing (when he did let loose you can see what an awesome shot he has) I stand by my thinking that a small stint in the AHL tearing up those goalies will do wonders for him. So much was made of his +/- stats and his soft game I think the kid is afraid to shoot.

TQ had a really decent game too.

The Scandanavian line (Sjo, TQ and Kapi) were gettin chances all over the place while the WWH line (Winnik, Weller and Hanzal) were adequate. Hanzal seems to have found his stride and was using his big body alot. Poor Rhino seemed like the guy had never seen a puck before and Vbrat on point sucketh mightily this game. Boynk had a decent game tonight (no outbursts of stupid penalties) and was positionally sound most of the game.

We missed Carcillo’s energy tonight. The guy really gives us a dash of derring do when he’s on the ice. much like Grats fired us up last season Carci does it w/ out having to go to war (although he does that very well too). No one stepped up to lead the club tonight in Donor’s absence (what the hell are those A’s for again?)

Another great effort and a point on the night. Good lookin out Yotes!

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=Recap&seas=20072008&gtype=…

Well we are down to those last seconds before the roster is set. Tomorrow night’s game should be a doozy as everyone fights to assure themselves of a spot at the table.

With Grats out another couple of weeks due to injury I’m thinking Weller gets an extra few weeks to hang with the big club (but I still think he goes back to SA after).

Its the bottom spots at forward where the real battle remains, if Thomas can’t step up another notch he is in for a real fight. Winnik, Kapanen, Thomas and Lisin are the least secure in my opinion but I really believe (in spite of all the Kapi hateration) that Niko holds the edge right now and if DWin can score again without garnering any stupid penalties, they will be the two who stay.

Lisin has stepped up in his defensive play for sure but now he needs some offense because last season he was not a finisher nor defensive enuff. But I believe he will head to SA as well for some minor polishing and a confidence boost of tearing up the nets in the AHL.

BillyT just hasn’t been too anything. He’s there…but (to my frustration and I’m sure to his own) there haven’t been any stellar moments yet.

Winnik is shining. Offensive moments, big hits. But offset w/ some rough edges (like the slash fest on Saturday). It may just be enough to lift him over the more skilled but less productive Thomas.

Kapanen too little, too soft and too Euro BAH HUMBUG! Kapi bashers need to take another look. He has great chemistry with Doan. Plays point with ferocity (ok as much ferociousness as a dachsund) but he thinks he’s a Rottie. The guy has some assists and has been an asset so far. I don’t see them dumping him at this stage.

The defensive line is nearly the same as last season. Roche, Bell and Jones were in a battle. Roche lost. Rumor had it that Travis has been ill which may have as much to do with it as anything because the guy has skills. Smooth skater w/ an offensive upside (the two way contract may have hurt his bid too), since Bell challenged for a one way and got it I don’t think there was anyway he was getting sent down. Bell had some good moments through out camp and in the games. After a rough start to camp Jonesy visibly pulled it together but maybe only enough to beat Roche out of the seventh spot. All that being said I imagine Nick Boynton will see the press box alot more than he imagined and will not be a happy camper about it. So look for drama and perhaps a trade.

The goalie drama continues. I really think we will see an ABBY/Telly combo in our net sooner or later. But for the season start it looks like we’ll carry all three for a little bit. None of them has been without warts so far, rebound control, consistency, positioning on secondary shots and confidence will be the watching points in this battle.

just my humble opinions/thoughts of course as the final 23 is hardly set in stone yet.

COYOTES REDUCE ROSTER BY FOUR

Monday, September 24, 2007

Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have reduced their training camp roster by four players. There are now 26 players remaining in camp.

Left wing Kevin Cormier and defensemen Travis Roche and Keith Yandle have been sent to San Antonio Rampage (AHL) training camp. Left wing Tomas Surovy has returned to his professional team in Europe.

The Coyotes will host the Edmonton Oilers at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night at Jobing.com Arena in the team’s final home preseason game. For ticket information, please call 480-563-PUCK (7825), or visit www.phoenixcoyotes.com.

-COYOTES-

SECOND ARIZONA PRODUCT HEADED TO SAN ANTONIO

Monday, September 24, 2007

GLENDALE, ARIZONA — Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that Gilbert, Arizona native Dusty Collins will attend training camp with the Coyotes’ top minor league affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage of the Ameican Hockey League (AHL), on a professional tryout.

Collins will join fellow Arizonan David Spina in San Antonio . Earlier this month, Spina made his NHL debut with the Coyotes when he appeared in the team’s preseason contest against the Colorado Avalanche at Jobing.com Arena.

The 22-year-old Collins was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fifth round (163^rd overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in 11 games for the Springfield Falcons (AHL) last season following the completion of his senior year at Northern Michigan University.

In four seasons at Northern Michigan, he appeared in 137 games while recording 11-15-26 and 135 penalty minutes. Collins notched a career-high 10 points during the 2005-06 campaign. Prior to attending Northern Michigan, he spent two years (2001-03) with the U.S. National Development Team.

-COYOTES-

This was a fantastic game! Speed, flair, grit and confidence. Well… after the first 3 minutes it was.

See Andie’s photos (scoreboard was fixed) : http://www.flickr.com/photos/9302501@N02/sets/72157602145126291/

The first few minutes were tentative. ABBY couldn’t seem to post up. Dallas thought they found his sweet spot but after two awful gimmee goals in the same place (glove side post, elbow high) ABBY had had enuff. He knuckled down and scrambled like a mad thing to keep us in the game all the rest of the night. I was really, really disappointed until he got his groove on. One of the prettiest glove robberies ever in the third period.

Please forgive me for this but…that Hanzal is sooo hot right now! Okay got that out of my system. HANZAL! worked like a fiend, it was a beautiful sight. Using that big body to protect the puck, some decent positioning, pressuring in the neitral and the last 45 seconds of the game he was THE MAN! He owned the 4 Dallas Stars back in their zone trying to get the puck away from him…first 1 then another, then another finally a fourth guy (Turco was pulled at the minute mark) Big Hoss wasn’t even tryin to get to the empty net he was basically running the clock out all by himself. AWESOME!

Donor! What is left to say about our captain except wow! The big forward hit and scored with ease tonight. The guy works so hard every shift. Worth every penny and more.

Carcillo – if he keeps this up he may end up nearly as beloved as our captain. The guy has been on fire (who knew the little spitfire was such a goal scorer in the minors? not me, but apparently his net touch has resurfaced up here in the bigs) with 3 goals in the last 2 games our Carci is really feelin his inner goal scorer and held his temper and his tongue several times tonight! (and we thought he couldn’t do it)

Kapanen, too bad he is so damn small. Heart like a lion. Niko was here, there and every where. Got two assists, hung out in the garbage zone as much as someone so small could. I really like this guy regardless of the common opinion, he never gives up. (yeah I saw him fall-down-get ripped off…but that was minor when compared to the rest of the game he played.)

The D looked good, oh sure there were a couple of misfires. Jovo at the blueline pinching is still a VERY ugly thing 2 out of 3 times…that third time is such a thing of beauty though. The big JV was fired up tonight. No hitch in his git along whatsoever. He even grabbed a Star by the head and shook (a kind of listen up boy, not in my house kinda thing). Ballard is finding his ice legs and giving us a preseason Bally Booty Bump to keep us cheering in the aisles. Jonesy finally looking like he belongs and Z and Dmo playing smart and physical (I am still pinching myself over Z’s newly tough coverage).

Weller (filling in while our resident pugilist Grats is out w/ bad mitts) took on Todd ‘the madman’ Fedoruk…wait for it…and WON! It took some doin and some wild punches but Weller spanked Fedoruk old school then took him down to the ice. Wellie can take a punch or 5 too. Was a really suprising fight. We might see more of this kid than expected.

Mueller finally landed that elusive goal tonight. The celebration was nearly as much fun as the goal. Some say he still doesn’t look comfortable on the ice. I think its coming, slowly, by degrees, but it is coming. WG has thrown the big youngster out in every imaginable situation and he hasn’t fallen down on any of the jobs yet.

Lisin had a couple of key steals through the neutral. Unfortunately we couldn’t keep the puck long enuff to convert them but you can definitely see the defensive improvement. (yeah he had a couple of rough patches in our zone) but overall I liked what I saw tonight.

VBrat was ok tonight…not good, not terrible.

Boynk should be shot and placed above someones fireplace. Took one of the stupidest penalties I’ve seen out of him in awhile (broke his stick and had to chase and scramble…which is sooo not his forte). Took his man down in the crease with a nasty shove, then kept shoving until the refs called the penalty.

Winnik looked mostly good. But those two damn needless slashing penalties really hurt. I hope he can tough it out and stay awhile.

Surovy was nothing to write home about. In his debut he showed nothing at all that I could see. But at least tonight he mostly could keep up with the play.

The referees must have been born and raised in Texas. Seriously I haven’t seen so many ticky fouls called in quick succession since Magoo went after San Jose last year. We got 5 penalties in just about as many minutes. Stayed 5 on 3 for so long I was beginning to think that was how the game was supposed to be played. Fortunately Dallas’ PP was so lousy and ABBY had found his posts, otherwise this game woulda been a blow out.

Scoring went like this:

Lundqvist for the Stars 1 -0

Hagman for the Stars 2 -0

Carcillo from Doan and Hanzal finally answer 2- 1

Miettenin for the Stars 3 -1

Doan from Kapenen 3 -2

Jovo from Ballard and Kapenen 3 -3

Mueller from Ballard and Morris 4 -3

Hanzal from Lisin and Thomas 5 – 3

Lundqvist again for the Stars 5 -4

Doan again for us giving us room for error 6 – 4

Conner for Dallas 6 -5 and that was all she wrote.

WE WON ! …again! GO COYOTES!

Official recap: http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=Recap&seas=20072008&gtype=…

COYOTES SEND 19 PLAYERS TO SAN ANTONIO

Friday, September 21, 2007

GLENDALE, ARIZONA — Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have sent 19 players to the San Antonio Rampage (AHL) training camp. There are now 31 players remaining in the Phoenix Coyotes training camp.

The following players have been sent to the San Antonio Rampage training camp:

Goalies

David LeNeveu
David McKee
Josh Tordjman

Defensemen

Ryan Caldwell
Bryan Helmer
Dylan Reese
David Schlemko
Logan Stephenson
Sean Sullivan

Forwards

Jon DiSalvatore
Olivier Latendresse
Alex Leavitt
Yanick Lehoux
Matt Murley
Joel Perrault
Tyler Redenbach
David Spina
Joey Tenute
Pete Vandermeer

The Coyotes will next face-off against the Dallas Stars at Jobing.com Arena on Saturday, Sept. 22. Game time is 7:00 p.m.

Woot! Woo! We won 3 – 2.

Waldo suggests a line w/ Hanzal and Carcillo called Hanzal and Regretal (I LOVED IT!…ok I’m kinda nutty…but its better than my fast and the furious line w/ Sjostrom and Carcillo)

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=Recap&seas=20072008&gtype=…

Carcillo for 2 and Z for 1. Danny boy is assuring himself a seat at the table. Doin his home town war dance he got the first marker off a tip in (thnx Joel) and graciously let Z pot his first of the year before putting the baby to bed with his second and GWG! Carcillo (no relationship to Jeff Cirillo, no matter how awfully the Leaf announcers say his name) also had a huge open ice hit for the night.

The Swedish Wolf totally showed out with a very sweet performance against the team that had no room for him last season. If Telly can keep it up we could have a real nice tandem brewing w/ him and ABBY.

highlights: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=218822&hubname=nhl

McLean sent to Oshawa Generals leaving camp number at 50.