Apparently working 9hrs and school for another 3hrs every day is resulting in epic fail for my posting habits. So I will endeavor to catch up.

Wings 5 – 4  We won… at the Joe…  I know the Wings have been struggling lately but give the boys their due. This was no easy task. Both Zetterberg and Datsyuk were in this game, neither of them could take over and run us like they used to. This pack is somethin else when they decide to bear down and take a game to its limits. It was gratifying to see that the boys refused to quit even after Lidstrom nailed us twice. Apparently there is no such thing as a game out of reach for these guys.

Flames 3 – 2 We won… despite a house packed with Flamers. These 1 point games are killers. But to give Calgary their due, that was one hungry team on the ice. Desperation doesn’t even describe it. We handed them their 9th straight loss. No wonder the team is getting blown up even as I type. We’ve already seen Phaneuf leave town. (Our poor Sjo got dragged with him but at least he was wanted, not sloughed off. Poor Prust, is he ever gonna find a real home?) Now its buh bye Olli and Brandon? Hello Kotalik and Chris Higgins? If Darren Dreger of TSN is right, what a weird trade but at least Calgary gets rid of 2 rumored cancers and can get back on track.

Rangers 3 -2 We won on Teppo retirement night! How awesome is that? Especially since it was the 3rd straight win in a row. Sean Avery is still a puke. (too bad we let the lil arseclown score) The creepy little feces disturber was up to his dirty deeds before the puck even dropped. (whacking Bissonnette was not the smartest thing he ever did but luckily Paul did the smart thing and ignored the pest). I sincerely hope we learn to put these things completely out of reach before one of these comes back to bite us in the butt. 3 – 0 in the 1st only to let Gabby and Creepy give the Rangers hope in the 3rd *facepalm* But its okay, AZBarbie held on through the blizzard at the end and we handed the ailing Rangers their 5th straight loss.

Stars 4 -2 We won! On Tip’s first trip back to Dallas since they stupidly gave him the boot. We have won all 3 meetings so far with Tippett’s former team. We play them 2 more times in the next 2 weeks. The game got pretty scrappy and I can’t even imagine how bad it may get, playing them so much, so close together. 4 Yotes with points and 3 of the 4 with multiple points…suhweet! Vernon Fiddler with back to back nasty blocks to help keep the Stars from gaining control of the end of the 3rd period. 4th straight win. (I wonder how many in a row we’ll have to win before TSN give us props in the power rankings? Seriously TSN? The Flames move up based on the trades?) *ESPN has moved us up from 10 to 6th…guess they’re one of the few looking under the radar?

Scottie Upshall – torn ACL, surgery imminent. Sucks in the worst way. If anyone could be termed irreplacable in this pack, it would be the Gr8Scott. How does such a little guy leave such a big hole? Well, he’s 90% heart and that is hard to replace. Even if the surgery goes well and the tear isn’t horrendous we probably won’t see Scottie for the rest of the season and maybe not even the start of the next (Most orthopedic physicians agree that a minimum of 6 months is needed before returning to competitive sports. Because of potential risks of reinjury, however, most recommend waiting 7 to 9 months.) *Jerry Rice made it back to the NFL in 3 1/2 months, only to scrag the whole knee in his first game back*…we don’t even want to contemplate something like that for our boy. Take your time Uppy, get well soon. We’ll miss you on the ice but rest assured, your boys have it covered.

Trade deadline – March 3rd is bearing down on us like a lion. What will GMDM do? With Upshall out, I am sure Don’s phones are ringing off the hook. Teams will be looking to steal from us, to capitalize off what will appear to outsiders as a desperation factor. They don’t know the Don very well if they think they can trade their junk for some of our prospects and picks. Will he stand pat? Guess it will depend on the next few games. Mueller stepped up huge in Dallas (perfect timing Petey! Show you can be the missing piece of the Lombo-combo line and give Don some more breathing room) Has GMDM already got someone in his sights? More than likely. You know the Don, value is his middle name… (we’ll take a look at the possibles on Wednesday… errr maybe Thursday) Tippett’s pack doesn’t let much throw them for long. There are 26 regular games left in the season. We need to win a little more than half of them and get to 100 points to be sure to make it to the ‘extra session games’ (we’re avoiding the P word because I am a superstitious cow who is afraid to jinx the boys). Can we do it? Hell to the yeah! One for all and all for one against a world that is still dubious about whether we’re the real deal or not.

Some food for thought

Yandle – 10-19 for 29 points AND +10! Enough said. I’m won over.

Mueller – You can say that anybody playing on a line with a red hot Doan should be able to score but it just ain’t so. (exhibit A - Olie Jokinen) Mueller manned up in Dallas and exhibited skills we haven’t seen in a month of Sundays. Give the boy his props and cross all your appendages that this isn’t a one time deal.

Blueline points – Our defense is #1 in the NHL for points! The boys in the back keep steppin up to the front. Bombs, lasers, wicked wristers, these guys have an entire arsenal back there and apparently they are not afraid to use any of it. Kudos!

Bryz – He may have faltered a bit but don’t count Beast-galov out. The Russian pillow is back! We may still see a few 3 or 4 hole issues but for the most part Bryzzie has been stellar after getting his head back together. That is one determined goalie in our net. He has proven that  he is a crunch guy (see the Duck’s Stanley Cup run for your proof if you doubt the veracity of that statement) This is as big as it gets for a #1 guy, keeping your team in the hunt is the stuff NHL dreams are made of. Focus and calm seem to be his trademarks lately. Look out Vezina, there is a new boy in the race.

Attendence – 12,725 vs Calgary on a weeknight. 16,687 vs New York on a Saturday.  Chicago is nearly sold out already for 3/20. Methinks, the general public is starting to figure out that the JobArena is the cool place to be. Alice Cooper and Muhammad Ali have made return visits, Vince Vaughn has hung out with us too. We’re the hot ticket now and things will only keep getting better as we keep battling closer to the post season.

Teppo Numminen – It was fantastic to see one of our best honored. He seemed so pleased with the whole thing. Man of few words, our RepoMan. Our ring of honor finally got its first Coyotes player! I wish I had made a better sign since it got some camera time towards the end of the ceremony. But my heart and sentiments were in the right place, Congratulations Teppo, enjoy your retirement. You definitely deserve every honor the Yotes can give you.

Captain Shane Doan with the NHL’s 1st star!

We take on the Nashville Predators tomorrow. Puck drops at 6PM. Let’s get a win for Fiddy’s return to Nashville!

Keys to the game?

Play the system! No matter what the Preds throw at us (and you better believe it will be everything they’ve got) we have to stay disciplined and play all 60 minutes. The Preds have lost 5 of their last 6 and are looking to halt their slide before they skid out of the hunt. (The Preds were tied with us before the skid, they now sit 7th place in the conference with 63 points)

The committee members have to show up. We don’t do too well at Sommet Center (haven’t won there in awhile, like 2 years?) We need to bring the heat early and often. We’re 26-2-1 when we score first. Don’t let the goalie with the funny name (Pekka Rinne) get settled. Last time Scottie Upshall pulled our collective chestnuts out of the fire. This would be a great time for our big guns to stay hot. Doan, Vrbata and Mueller can get this party started right and let the blueliners finish it off. We need to win this in regulation, don’t give the Preds anything to move them up in the standings or they could get on a tear and catch us again… no bueno! Plus with Langer out our shootout might just kill us.

Defense! Defense! Defense! Martin Erat is a dangerous man. These boys can play the scoring by committee game just as well as us. We’re going to have to be sharp, these boys really throw some rubber at the net when they face us. Positioning and heart is where our blueline has to be. Keep these guys out of the scoring areas at all costs.

Watch your back Breezy there will be rubber flyin from every angle these boys can try. This will likely be a pretty high sog game. Danger! Danger! Be sharp and give the boys the chance to score first please.

Special teams…meh… play the system and let special teams be a non-factor please.

There is a new media gurl on the Yotes beat. Be sure to check Sarah out on Twitter. She has some great insider videos to share.

As always… GO COYOTES!

It is truly unbelievable how attached we fans get to our favorite players. It is really hard to remember the team and its components are a business, not our personal entertainment toy. March 4th held few surprises for the Coyotes fan base. We’ve pretty much known Derek Morris was going to be traded since last summer (even before the financial picture hit the toilet). Mikael Tellqvist was another no brainer, we’re done for the season and there is nothing gained in holding onto assets that won’t be resigned. The Olli Jokinen move was no surprise either, the fit just wasn’t right and it showed on both sides. So the biggest bummer for most fans was the Carcillo trade. Boy are there some butt hurt fans out there… on both sides. So I thought I’d say a few things about each trade (easy for me to do because my favorite is still in the desert ) so I can be a bit more objective about the deals.

The Coyotes – Sabres Trade

We got a 4th round pick in 2011 for Mikael Tellqvist, the only surprise there is that GMDM was able to get a return for him at all in this ugly goalie market (the Bryzgalov and Legace moves are proof of how ugly it is out there for trading goalies). We adored our Swedish Wolf. There wasn’t a better team guy out there that we can think of that endured with grace the way Telly did. The 32 yr old back up was always ready and managed to hold us together when our main tender blew a head gasket. He stole games, rallied the troops, ranked the shooters for shootouts. But trust me when I tell you that there is no way Telly wanted to sit behind Breezy for 10- 15 games at a time for even another year. He was a good guy not a saint. He still has aspirations for his career that might even include being in a half way decent tandem. It might not happen in Buffalo but at least he’ll get a chance to showcase himself and maybe get picked up by a team that understands the value of a tandem.

The 4th round pick is waaay out there so it really doesn’t spin my propeller right now but who knows what it can be parlayed into in the hands of a master GM like Don Maloney and hey! it IS better than nothing. WIN – WIN

The Coyotes Flames Trade

We got Mathew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a conditional first in return for Olli.

Olli Jokinen won’t be missed by anybody it seems like. I have not seen one Phoenix fan post that holds any kind of sorrow that he’s gone, the 3rd round pick was apparently a small price to pay for the gift of his absence. In the eyes of the fan base, Joker cost too much (there are a great number of fans out there still mourning the loss of Ballard and Boynton) and returned absolutely nothing. The PPG player disappeared (you can’t tell me it was lack of talent surrounding him cuz he really didn’t have jack to work with in FLA either) from my perspective it was a bad case of having his give-a-damn busted.He didn’t want to be here and it showed on the ice (lack of ability to develop a rapport with 13 other forwards) and off the ice as well (check the fan pics and tales of Olli encounters for his disinterest…talking on his cell phone, not smiling during pics and generally being non verbal face to face). I hate the locker room cancer rumors but when the coach feels obliged to address the issue in an interview, you gotta figure there were some flames under all that particular smoke. But maybe its a good lesson for the Phoenix club. Stop looking for a savior and start saving yourselves… as a team. Olli is now 1 happy camper. He is finally getting his shot at the big shiny silver cup. Maybe his game will get back on track and he actually helps an already strong Calgary team by being a piece of the solution not the pendulum that their success swings from. Calgary is happy because now Iggy doesn’t have to be the focus point of every top line in the league, not many teams have the ability nor the man power to deal with Iginla AND a happy Jokinen.

Lombardi and the first woulda been a decent return. Lombo played w/ Doan in the undefeated gold medal World Cup run. They already had proven chemistry and some history. The building blocks of saving ourselves could start right there. Lombardi is a decent face off man (something we’ve been lacking since No Panic Yanic and Ziggy broke camp). Lombo ( I refuse to call him Lamby-kins no matter how cute he may be dammitt, you know who I’m talking to!) also has an edge to him, some speed to him and even more importantly to this team, a natural tendency to drive the net and give that all important 2nd and 3rd effort in front. Will Lombardi be the total answer? Well no, but damn if he won’t help add some pieces to our particular puzzle. Matt accelerates our growth as a team by being a desperately needed ‘bridge’ player. These are players whose experience falls somewhere between the vets and the rookies that can explain and understand the kids without frustration (its not soo long ago that they walked in their skates) and hold their own w/ out intimidation w/ the vets.If all that wasn’t enough… add secondary scoring to the mix and total up how good a deal Lombo could end up being for us.

Brandon Prust might have been a throwing at first but in reality the lil energy feisty guy allowed GMDM to trade Carcillo to the Flyers. While Prust will never be the all out gutsy rock jaw brawler that Danny was, the kid has some grit to his game and can agitate where needed and be reined in w/out major heartburn. He’s no first line scoring machine either but he may add a little secondary scoring and even more importantly, not be a hindrance w/ any line he’s put on.

The first round pick is conditional but you can pretty much bet it’ll be 2009’s since that one will definitely be a late rounder with the Flames pretty much a shoo-in for a playoff berth. It will still give GMDM some maneuverability for maybe trading up or picking up another ‘experienced’ piece to our roster puzzle.

On the surface, it seems like we traded first line scoring demon for a few secondary guys and a possibility but thats not the real picture in this case because Olli wasn’t anywhere near that for us anyway. We did good, Lombardi and Prust will get plenty of TOI and be able to develop their leadership skills as well as bond with a group that is on the rise and Olli can see what the post season feels like under a microscope. No I can’t bring myself to wish Olli well, even though I am happy with what we got for him, the stench of what we lost is lingering in my nostrils and prompts me to think … ‘C ya, you lil bald biyatch, enjoy your first round ending when you jump over a puck in game 7′ (oops sorry just a lil bitter here). WIN – WIN

The Coyotes Rangers Trade

Derek Morris was looking for a cup b4 he expired umm retired. He hoped the Yotes would finally get their shit together so he could stick around. They did start down the right road and DMo was willing to stick around for the rise of the Phoenix. But unfortunately the economy started to tank and wrecked the blossoming negotiations. We went into the toilet as a team and financially and DMo’s dream contract went down in a swirl of fetid offers from the front office (with no ownership in place and the NHL scrutinizing every syllable, it just wasn’t gonna get done). GMDM offered a short term w/ a lil raise, but come on! Does anyone think Derek is an idiot? Last year, puck moving, offensive defense men were going for premium wages and time. Why in the world would a very good blue liner w/ experience and skill not hold out for the contract of his lifetime? Sooo talks broke down (hopefully as amicably as reported) and teams lined up for their shot (pending the trade of Jay Bouwmeester, the big fish of the deadline, which never materialized). It went down to the wire but Sather blinked first and GMDM got the assets he was craving and DMo got a new home. A home where he gets to chase the shiny silver trophy of his dreams AND showcase himself for his big payday.

Petr Prucha had a powerful advocate in GMDM when he was a rookie, he pulled down an incredible 30 goals, then poof we stole the Don and pulled the rug out from under Petr Puck. Now I don’t know why NYR wasn’t happy with Pruuu!’s sophomore 20 goals but apparently he fell so far out of favor that the press box was redecorated in Czech designs and a chair w/ his name on it. But even with all the mistreatment Pruuu! kept his head up and kept developing and played hard. GMDM saw his efforts and decided to grab him for one of our bridge players (who better to teach the rooks the meaning of hard work and effort, to show them that people notice and rewards can come their way?) So the tiny Czech w/ the cojones to get back up after every hit and make the transgressor pay on the scoreboard, gets out of the doghouse and into 15+ mins TOI, its not Broadway but here in the desert he can make a difference. And truly, thats what every heart n soul guys wants to do.

Nigel Dawes will be helping Pruuu! eat up Olli’s minutes. Another mini terrier with a nose for the net and a sweet radar that enables him to pass or shoot well. He wasn’t on anybody’s shit list that I could tell but he wasn’t exactly thriving either. What is great about Nigel is that he is another guy who has never met an opponent’s crease that he didn’t wanna crash. When all is said and done, I think he pushes some bubble players out of the nest and makes himself a spot alongside Prucha and in more than a few fans hearts.

Dmitri Kalinin is the wild card in this deal. We did need some kind of defense in return for DMo. Rolling w/ 6 defense men is just not acceptable (especially w/ Z and Sauer, who seem to think they are impervious to injury and like to step in front of shots from the Sourays and Charas of the league) . Especially for a team that is nursing young Yandle along and repeatedly icing David Hale even though he isn’t quite ready for prime time either. This is Tree’s big chance to earn a contract. As a UFA blue liner who wasn’t putting up big numbers in any aspect of the position, Kalinin is going to have to impress somebody in order to stay in the NHL. But for now, he’ll do, to hold the fort on a season that is basically done anyway.

NYR got their big minute blue liner who can QB a PP, has a huge shot and if paired correctly, can shut down the big names. GMDM got another pair of  bridge players we so desperately needed, guys with work ethic, speed and net presence who can show the kids how to be NHLers. All 3 transplants WIN, DMo WINS and both teams get what they need to get by. WIN – WIN

The Coyotes – Flyers Trade

We got Scotty Upshall and a 2nd rounder for Daniel Carcillo

Danny Carcillo was not going anywhere in Phoenix. He is a GREAT energy guy who last season showed flashes of brilliant offense (including a hattie). TGO thought he could harness the Wild Child into a regular scoring forward who could chip in secondary scoring and provide grit and protection. Carci is a tough lil brawler who plays better when he’s chippy and pissy. The staff had a choke collar on him that was choking the very creativity and energy out of him that provided his spark and got him into the NHL in the first place. Anything or anybody choked down too much will explode and Wild Thang was no exception and did explode to the detriment of the team occasionally. He was learning and trying pretty hard but he was losing his identity and he needed a different atmosphere in the worst way. Daniel Carcillo will be a better Flyer, they play with an edge that suits him, he’ll get to be what he’s supposed to be, a third liner with the ability to hold his own on a second line in a pinch. He’s going to provide the occasional goal but more importantly he’ll make space and make things happen so that other ‘more offensively gifted’ players can do their job w/ out worrying about anything but the goal and without being run.

Scotty Upshall wasn’t getting as much TOI, not like he’ll be getting in Phoenix. He’ll thrive and not just be an energy guy for at least 2 years if he decides to stick around. Even if he’s relegated to the 3rd line when the rookies mature and become better offensive forces, one of the main things Phoenix lacks is secondary scoring and net presence. Uppy seems to naturally provide those things (right place, right time, right tools). The other thing that makes this trade fall a little more to Phoenix’s favor is the fact that we get another of those desperately needed ‘bridge’ players, one who can teach and who can stand up for them on the ice. Again, can’t replace Carcillo’s sheer toughness but a stand up kinda up to have on your side never the less. I had to ask some Flyer fans if the Mclaren debacle had anything to do w/ Uppy being moved (salary adjustments to accommodate Kyle’s potential addition to the roster was my thought) … apparently they have others who might cause them to need the wiggle room too.

I think each team got something good and all the players moved into better situations for themselves. Time will tell which team did the better job of picking what helped them. It doesn’t have to be about getting the better of each other, what really matters is did each team get something that made them better. Coyotes WIN, Danny WIN (Flyers? remains to be seen).

And that, is my 5 cents for what it’s worth.

As Always… GO COYOTES!

Well we all knew it was coming. GMDM said he was standing pat unless something just about knocked his socks off. Well coming from New York city he musta brought a man crush on Montoya with him cause I see nothing else about this trade that accounts for doing it.

We gave NY our beloved Sjo our beleagured Lenny and threw in the lovable and feisty Bam Bam in return for lil Hoss and Monty (and depending on which site you read there’s a pick in there, going some way, conditionally).

I realize that as a 1st round pick (and one we moved up to get) more was expected of Fast Freddie and that it never really materialised but I was hoping we’d keep the boy for one more shot. But there’s a lot of talent coming up in the ranks and the lovable Swede was going to be in even more of a dog fight to stay out of the press box than ever before. I hope the change of scenery can do for Freddie, what dawg days in the desert could not. Good luck to you and godspeed, Weeble, you will be missed greatly.

Rather than lose Grats to that horrible re-entry waiver rule, he was allowed to languish down in the A. I only wish the Bammer’s hands were as soft as his head is hard. The kid gives his all each and every shift. Protector and big hearted lug that he is, we will all miss his courage and fire. With Avery already agitating the hell out of the east coast there really doesn’t seem to be a place for Josh on the NYR bench but the Rangers have obviously seen what happens to them when that moron is out of the lineup and decided to get a backup. Josh will most likely sit on the farm due to not having much else to contribute besides pugilistic talent. But who knows, he is still young maybe he can be taught to crease camp and earn some type of offensive distiguishment that way? Who the hell would try to get him out of a crease? Anyway… Good luck to you too Bammer and thanks for all the spark you provided for us.

Ah Lenny. At least you will be reunited with the goalie coach who understood how to get through to you. Underappreciated (your record when you managed to get a game wasn’t that bad) and badly managed (thrown to the freakin wolves in a series of ugly goalie dramas) you are still a guilty secret crush for me. I hope you fare well back there on the other coast. Fast glove and smooth lateral movement to you bucko.

So GMDM finally got his boy. Montoya has been brought into the Yotie fold. Creates a very interesting tandem down in the A. The next 2 years should be very interesting on our goalie front as Tordjy and Monty battle for top dog honors. With the Breezy/Telly combo working out so awesomely and Tell is signed for another year, looks like we finally have some good depth in the cupboard for flexibility. So welcome to the family Monty ( I hope you are half as good a GMDM thinks you could turn out to be).

Last but not least Lil Hoss. Forever in the shadows of the awesomeness that is Marian, this poor guy needed a break like nobody’s business. He got one in this change of scenery. Hopefully Marcel Hossa will jump right in and find his niche and hopefully a wee bit of a scoring touch. Not much to look at as far as offense this season, Marcel does possess a nice defensive edge so maybe we won’t feel the pinch of losing our defensive Swede so much. Come on in Marcel we got plenty of love for the underdog to go round.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duvWNZ68p1g stolen errr borrowed from http://www.islandersarmy.com/blog/

Sorry about the scary blast from the past but seriously… Duuudes??!

King Henrik was flattened by the flu and Jagr had a bad back… Jagr played and wished he hadn’t. The King didn’t and wished he had. I watched from the inner sanctum of Chez Tanner *waving energetically at the coolest hockey hosts evah!*

From jump street this game was on and poppin! Bouyed by their successful run against Brodeur, the Yotes didn’t get to answer the question (who’s harder to beat? Mad Marty or King Henrik?) But they sure got to strut their stuff on Broadway.

Joel Perrault (who was called up from the minors at the start of this trip) saw some heavy duty action right away as he fired up our special teams unit with a PP goal in the first period to start the action. The rest of the period was a scrambling Valliquette and a shambling Rangers first line. (21 sogs from both sides but no give from either goalie) 1 – 0 Yotes

The second period is when the scoring committee got to work. Straws were drawn for scoring order and pretty much like clockwork, pucks were thrown with impunity at the hapless Valiquette.

Carcillo played super smart, we saw the player all night instead of the pugilist and he was rewarded with a goal. 2 – 0 Yotes

TQ has been invaluable on this road trip and he helps set up #3 w/ Kapi and Vbrat. 3 – 0 Yotes. Then apparently Fast Freddie gets impatient for his turn and a sweet Bally set up to Vbrat, to Sjo becomes #4 of the game as Sjo continues his streak. 4 – 0 Yotes. And of course not to be shown up on his 07 debut Perrault comes roarin back with another PP goal to make it #5 against an ever more dazed and confused Rangers team. 5 – 0 Yotes.

Mid third period, just as we start waiting for the clock to wind down on a sure shut out for Byrz! Handz ends up in the box and Girardi manages to pot one. 5 – 1 Yotes

Poor Valley, it wasn’t all his fault but after Jagr lost his tooth to an inadvertant elbow from Sjo early in the game, all the piss and vinegar seemed to leak right outta those boys. The highly paid, highly touted, ultra stacked Rangers brought nuthin to the table.

VS

We polish up the apple and then head out for the bright lights of the city that never sleeps. Good run lads…keep it up.

~Photos from Seth Wenig/Associated Press ~