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 was officially a streak for real folks. No I ain’t talkin about some freak named Zeke, cavorting across a soccer field bare assed. I’m talking about the Phoenix Coyotes knocking off 5 opponents in a row! It was sweet. We are now 6 - 1 - 1 after we got tripped up by those pesky Kings and  the wounded but uber dangerous Ded Thangs.

W – Dallas – 5 – 2 -we beat the perennial playoff hounds. They are paarlaying loser points into another hunt for Lord Stanley but we’re denying them every chance we get and staying on the trail right with them.

W – Anaheim – 3 – 2 -we showed them the door too, another playoff monster that thrives on loser points paving their path to the post season. No soup for you only Duck soup for us!

W – Calgary 2 – 1 – scary buncha guys (Joker is still scary even when he isn’t scoring). Thought they would take us out behind the woodshed, glad we were able to not only hang with them but to show them the united pack smack down (damn you former Coyotes for giving so much more to the Flames than us).

W – Ottowa 3 – 2 – I guess having their own Michalek didn’t help. Ours may not score as much but preventing scoring apparently is even better! Go Z!

W – Minnesota 2 – 0- silly elves, this is our year dammit, don’t go away mad… just go away. (see other entry for full disclosure)

OTL – Los Angeles 3 – 2 – damn you Wayne Simmons, your dream just may come true. One of the very last teams I wanted to share points with. But gotta give the Princelings their due, just like us and Colorado, the basement kids are coming into their own finally.

W – San Jose 2 – 1 – Wow! I realize Marty owns Big Joe and Z pretty much owns Pretty Patty but can I say wow again or is that too much? Every time they play each other I have an insane urge to put on a life jacket sporting the #30. Always tough (can you say Shelley, Murray and Mclaaren?) but when faced with total discipline and determination, even the best can be beaten. I actually LOVE playin these guys this season.

L – Detroit 2 – 3 – It sucks to start out the road trip with a loss but the boys found their cojones finally and played well to almost catch up to the Ded. I guess #13 is sooo NOT Bryzzie’s number. The 13th start was ugly. Much of the night the big guy looked off kilter and slow. The blue liners didn’t look too swift either for about 45 minutes of the game. (ummm guys? when Breezy is off, you are supposed to carry the big guy til he gets his head straight. He’s carried you many a game, time to return the favor.) Ah well, we’ll get our shite together for Wednesday. Somehow Tipper always manages to rein them in and get them back on pack fairly quickly. I really just wanted 8 points out of this trip and I didn’t care if it meant grabbing loser points. It feels strange to expect to get more than half the available points on a road trip but the boys have built up my faith so much that I actually have expectations now. Too weird.

Sooo anyone have any idea what the hell is up with Doaner? Ever since Wizzer nearly decapitated him, Shane has been off. Stop grippin the stick so tight my Captain. The whole team isn’t on your back anymore. These boys can carry they ownselves big daddy. Just have fun, run over a few more people per game and let the goals fall when they may. (Is it just me or is it almost as much fun to watch Doaner steam roll people as it is to watch him score?)

Daly and Maloney were doin the talking head thing today. Much as expected not much was really said that we didn’t already expect. Everyone is happy about the potential new ownership. Not much will change (except maybe we’ll see a new addition to the team on the scoring front… and of course lose someone since it costs to get a quality scorer even with GMDM doing the buying).

Daly on NHL Live

The BoG will be meeting starting tomorrow so we’ll all be waiting with bated breath to find out if the good ol boys wanna let the whippersnappers into the club. I hope so. I actually have met a couple of them and came away impressed. I think the Coalition wrote something up on that awhile back and I haven’t seen nor heard anything to make me change my mind.

• Ice Edge Holdings – They have passion and a real desire to own the Coyotes for the business of hockey.
• They have business acumen and know how to make money.
• They understand the game (hell they’ve played it and love it).
• They are innovative and are not afraid to take on a risk, much like ourselves and Tippett, they see something in this team that they can believe in.

They have ideas…

1. how to utilize every square inch of the arena to get revenue
2. how to treat a fanbase
3. how to build a hockey club
4. how to recognize that they don’t know everything and will have to trust people to do their jobs
5. they also recognise things that aren’t working
6. and how to treat a legend, we just might see #99 again (oh don’t panic, not behind the bench) but maybe somewhere within the ownership group

I didn’t get to meet Keith but read what he has to say HERE. Whats not to like about this crew? A few games in Saskatoon? Gimme a break. Better a few games for our Northern cousins to enjoy and help the bottom line than none for us because we’re too stupid to recognise an opportunity to get on our feet or too stingy and jealous to share and welcome some more fans for the organization to thrive on. Will there be changes? Of course, there have to be in order to get out of the red ink sea. Will we like all of them? Of course not, don’t be silly, the business of hockey will not recognise our favorites and all of our preferences, but as long as they get good results and keep the team alive and kickin in Arizona… count me in. I like them, they are actually going to give it their all with no strings attached and no screwing of others to get their way. Their regular business is built on that premise. They got tired of being part of the all-about-the-benjamen crowd and started a business they could be proud of. A business with integrity. Thats their reputation in the business world and I expect no less from them in the hockey world.

Monty sighting! We saw the Big Cubano wandering the concourse last home game… in his sporty sling. Best wishes on a speedy recovery Monty.

The always obliging Kurt Sauer gave our friend DTG the skinny on his expected return to the ice (see paw print 12/13 for that news) He graced the stands with his awesomeness last game too.

Holy crap its almost midnight AGAIN! Gotta go grab some zzzzs (not him!) some sleep people, some sleep.

Quick shot reminders –

The “Leader of the Pack” award is designed to recognize the top Coyotes Season ticket holder for each month during the remainder of the season. The nominations must include a full description of how the individual has demonstrated his or her commitment to the Pack. If you know a deserving Season Ticket Holder, please nominate them for this award. (if you don’t know their full name and info, fake it, give the team as much info as you can so they know who you are voting for… they’ll count the votes right). Vote HERE for December.

Ambassador’s Club! Coyotes STHs (season ticket holders) have volunteered to help out with gettin butts in the seats. The Yotes are sinking their teeth into some guerilla marketing and have issued these volunteers their own links to help friends, family and innocent bystanders get discounted Coyotes tickets. So if you need tickets to a game feel free to use my link HERE. (promo code…Coyotes)

Round 3 of theNHLArena’s poll is up. Go vote in the final round remember to let us know what you think is good, could be better and could just be kicked to the curb.

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 they came home men. Bryzzie recorded his shutout of the season. What started out as a tentative game turned into a goalie battle of epic proportions in the Big D as Bryzgalov transmuted into Beastgalov and stole the show. Turco was no slouch his own self, turning in a great performance. If not for the heroics of the Russian pocket rocket Enver Lisin, we mighta gone to another double shutout shootout.

The boys did everything I asked of them… well… except you Olli. Man I hope you read this shite and get so pissed at me that you hattrick on Saturday, Monday damn… Thursday? Seriously! You piss me off so royally right now I could pluck you bald…oh wait… you are already bald. NVM but I am still wallowing in never before reached levels of pisstivity. I have no more words to describe you (they say a picture is worth a 1000 words)

Soooo Ilya Bryzgalov saved the boys bacon, going from mild mannered Russian goal keeper to some dire, crazed edition that we haven’t seen before. The amazing beast stymied the Stars all night long. It was one of his best performances of the season so far. (thanks Qbert, for the pic)

The warrior crew returned home and promptly shat their armor against the Canucks… blew a fargin 2 goal lead, let the Nuckleheads grab 3 (count ‘em and weep) unanswered goals in the 3rd. There was more scrummin than hockey goin on. *and I admit to wishing heartily that DMo coulda got loose on Hordichuck*

But all this pushin n shovin took us away from the game rather than shoring us up to play better.

Between losin the majority of the faceoffs in the 3rd (allowing the Nucks to gain better puck possession throughout) and PIMs up the wazoo, we basically handed the Canucks this one. 4 – 3 Canucks… final.

So to continue the shatting, we played the Flames. Always a fun proposition.. NOT. But we have been holding our own this season so it wasn’t all doom and dred. We came out hard n feisty (20 sogs in the first period! some of them quality shots that Kipper had to really perform on) The Mighty DWin started us out great (gettin that scoring gorilla off his back…not once but TWICE! for his first multi-goal game)

Unfortunately Winnie was the only Yote who seemed to be able to put the biscuit in the basket through 2 full periods.

The Flames were a whoole nother story, walkin into our zone in the 2nd and blasting Breezy full of holes at will. When will the boys learn that 1 – 1.5 periods played balls out will not win them a hockey game? The second period saw 4! (count ‘em again folks) 4 goals scored including a shortie from Glencross that was an embarrassment of a turnover that a group of mini-mites wouldn’t have made. The fire retardant failed us and the Flames outshot us 21 – 8!

The 3rd period we woke up and the Flames cooled down (each side only got 9 sogs). Doaner answered Lombardi’s 2nd goal (6th Flame goal on the night) makin it 6 – 3 and we got a little momentum going. But another goal from the Flames killed the crowd and people started leaving in droves. Well they missed a hellified show by the sneaky Tiki. Tikhnov ripped a slapper and a wrister past Kipper 3 minutes apart that put some life back in us… with time left on the clock. (Another first time multi-goaler!)

I had a foolish leap of faith (idn’t funny how hope will spring up like that?) that we might actually tie this game up. another brown stain added to the score sheet… 7 – 5… Flames… final. *high point of the night… Danny takin Phaneuf down.

Lowpoint of the night…Bertuzzi with what seemed to be 900 assists on the night*

The dismally seemingly perpetually brown film engulfed Monday night’s game against the Oilers too. But at least there was real hockey being played.

High points were

• Telly in the net on a mission.
• Sweets back on the ice after missing 14 games (Sauer was a last minute decision, I mean the kid can barely hobble and laced ‘em up anyway, gotta love this man).
• DMo blastin away at Rolli (6 sogs, nasty ones too).
• The return of Hanzal and his face off percentage of 62%.
• And biggest surprise of the night? Olli Jokinen diving through the crease to try to put one in! (Hey don’t look at me, I was surprised all night that Odawg could actually appear to give a shit, much less show some ‘real’ passion).

Low points were

• 44% face off total.
• Goin 1 for 999 on the PP again (I guess its gettin better… at least we’re managing to get 1 now).
• Having to watch Telly get his bell rung with no call…again (how do the refs manage to miss this over and over again? Has there been a game this season that someone hasn’t tried to decapitate the Swedish Wolf?)
• Goin gooseegg on a minute and a half 5 on 3.
• The sound a post makes when denying a Mueller goal.
• Not getting to watch Jovocop beat the hell out of Sheldon “shit starter” Souray
• And last but certainly not least… watchin the score board record yet another loss. 3 -1 Oilers… final

And that is our home performance, all wrapped up in a brown miasma. We have one more chance to pull out of this homely rut on Thursday night. Please dear hockey goddess, haven’t we been punished enough? Whatever transgressions we’ve committed, please! we will never do it again. Just give us back our pre-ASG team. Oh and ma’am, if at all possible can we have one of those really cool road winning streaks like last year?

News n Notes…

Schlemko was called up again… does this point to a trade acomin? God I hope not. Hopefully this was just a precaution since Mr. and Mrs. Halestorm are expecting any minute. EDIT: Schlem went back to SA… I believe the mini-Haler arrived okay, just don’t know yet what the lil one is named yet.

KT was sent to the Rampage! Didn’t see that coming… although you all know I was an advocate for another year of college (minimum) or startin in the AHL and building up his strength from the giddyup for our boy. Wayne and Co did the kid a great disservice methinks, waiting this long. Hopefully KT will get mongo TOI and build up his confidence and strength… and help the Rampage stagger into a playoff spot. EDIT: KT is rockin the AHL. Multigoal games, huge TOI minutes and just all around tearin it up. 3 games, 4 goals, 3 assists and a +1!

TGO salary stuff… for those who give a shit and are makin a big deal out of his salary in this financial crisis.

Thanks Teal for the pics… more to come

As always… no matter how low or how high we get… GO COYOTES!

1/2 the road trip is done. we’re basically .500 so far. We’ve got 2 points of 4 available but we kinda screwed the pooch during the Minnesota portion of this swing.

Road trippin Part 1 – Yotes VS Wild

Talk about a rough start. Did we not understand that the puck drop signaled the start of the game? 6 minutes into this one we were down by 2? How does that happen? Well it happens when your forwards stand still and your best defenseman is so damn confused by the musical blueline that he can barely tell where the goalie is supposed to be much less himself. 3 unanswered goals (at this point was I the only one burning incense to the hockey goddess so we wouldn’t get shut out?)and then Lucky Lindy got us on the board finally. (1 – 3 Wild)The first 2 periods looked like school recess field hockey. Even when that 2 many men thang ‘just happened’ to the Wild and of course we managed to blow that opportunity to get back in this one.

So the 3rd period starts pretty much the same way as the first with the Wild nailing us within the 1st minute of play. I can’t begin to describe just how badly we stunk for the first 40 minutes of this game but suddenly we came to life. The Joker answers Koivu’s 3rd period marker in less than 12 seconds and we went on a mini tear dictating the flow of the game and giving the Wild fits. Rhino and Doan connect for another goal to make it a ‘real’ game at 3 – 4 and with 13 minutes left I was soooo sure the boys would at least pull off the tie.

Until we let Cal Clusterbutt sneak past our defenses. (jeebus! anyone but that guy!)(3 – 5 Wild) Did I mention how bad our defense was all night? Even Sheppard gets in on some kick-em-while-their-down action to put the game out of our reach.(3 – 6 Wild) Anyway, we start to lose our cool and Carcillo wants a piece of Kolanos so bad he could almost taste it (Kolanos got away with a lil knee on knee action against DC earlier in the game, then lets an elbow fly) the refs aint havin it (and w/ Kris’ former concussion issues, he was none too eager to get in the way of anything Danny was likely to serve). The Wild decide to play keep away for the rest of the game… and we let ‘em. We leave the Wilds of Minnesota empty handed and owned again. 3 – 6 Wild final

Road Trippin Part 2 – Yotes VS Nucks

But not to despair. We arrive in Vancouver, apparently full of piss n vinegar cuz when the puck drops this time Lucky Lindy is all over Luongo like a bad rash, scoring 5 hole on the rusty goalie in the first minute. Who the hell are these guys wearing our unis? We’ve not had that kinda hot start since Heck was a pup. I wasn’t even through with my first version of the Lindyhop before the resourceful Swede teamed up w/ the Captain again to baffle the Nucks defense and try to destroy Louie’s groinal recovery…on the PP! 2 – 0 Yotes? in the first 1/2 of the 1st period? WTH? And you know what was even more startling than a PP goal? Yandle and Hale lookin like honest-to-god defensemen! Yeah I said it. Before the night was over I was marveling at the 180 performances of the 5th and 5th Dmen.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here we go again… time to break the stranglehold these boys have on us. Break the cycle. PERIOD.

TGO has juggled again… this time I pretty much approve of the swaps.

Here is Phoenix’s lineup for Tuesday:
Daniel Winnik-Martin Hanzal-Viktor Tikhonov
Shane Doan-Olli Jokinen-Peter Mueller
Kevin Porter-Steven Reinprecht-Mikkel Boedker
Daniel Carcillo-Garth Murray-Todd Fedoruk

Derek Morris-Kurt Sauer
Ed Jovanovski-Zbynek Michalek
David Hale-Ken Klee

Ilya Bryzgalov

Garth Murray has been recalled from SA. (Garth had a really strong camp and many of us were surprised when he went to the Rampage). He will add some grit and fire to this group for sure. and maybe a few more face off wins? Patrolling the ice with the Fridge and Carcillo, I got a feeling ‘energy line’ may take on a whooole new meaning. Kyle Turris will be watchin the game from on high. (Use the time wisely lil one… you got game… you just gotta figure out how best to utilize it.)

The other big change is on the blue… seems that everyone is hoping to jumpstart the Jovocop’s production by putting him back w/ his old partner Z. ( I could just spit! The kid was finally starting to show flashes of his innate offensive talent again) Apparently JV isn’t very comfortable w/ DMo as his partner and it certainly shows in his lack of production. I can pretty much see him going on a tear w/ Z back on his six, dooming Z to babysitting duty for the rest of JV’s Phoenix tenure. Ah well… maybe my baby boy can continue to find ways to get into the offensive zone occasionally and pick up a point or two. The Klee/Hale experiment will continue and DMo is now paired with Sig and should lose that ugly minus stat he accumulated trying to cover Jovo. There still isn’t a big shot on the 3rd pairing (Yandle is still languishing in the pressbox) but until TPTB decide to give Goose another shot at the roster we’ll have to be content with the third pairing not producing a damn thing and just pray they can hold their own defensively.

The WTH line is back together. Hoping they can finally break through with some points on the board. Winni and Tiki are sooo overdue it isn’t even funny. They work so damn hard and have been right on the doorstep so freakin often it is starting to hurt. C’mon lads! you can do it!

The BIG line is back. In an effort to stimulate Mueller’s production, the #1 line has been put back together. Both Joker and Doan are catchin fire… maybe together they can light one under the often lacksadaisical looking Mules. The kid has not been looking well out there. Especially in light of what we KNOW he can do. Kick it up a notch… or 5 Mueller.

Rhino has two youngins to teach in this one. Boedker has been the best of the rookie class in terms of actually playing like he belongs in the NHL. Naturally gifted, the Bods has picked up more and more confidence with each shift and can be relied on to be where the best chances are by vets and fellow rooks. Ports is not the flashy guy, he is basically the mini-me of Rhino. Quietly contributing in nearly every aspect of the game. While not the fastest thing on the ice, Ports makes up for the dash and the flash by totally creating a bond w/ his line mates and giving them the passes, checking and basic good calm play needed to score.

Keys for tonight:

Intense my ass. Just get in the face of everyone. Jump on every loose puck and do whatever it takes to get said puck on the Flames net. We have to play smart, smash and grab hockey tonight. Take the hit, hit them back twice as hard. If you take a player out of the play, make sure he ’stays’ out (no more of these pansy rub n gropings along the boards) please.

The vets (Doan, Rhino and Joker) are starting to come to life… Jovo? Jovo?

Mueller? Mueller? (the pressbox has space, bucko)

Hang in there Breezy… they’ll get the hang of it.

BTW – if you hadn’t heard… GMDM took on Nikulin from OTT (what is up w/ OTT pissin off all the Russians?) Like Kaigodorov before him Nikulin basically wanted out of OTT’s clutches by any means neccessary. So we took him off their hands for Drew Fata in return. Gonna be interesting.

AZCentral storiesNikulinJuggling Oh Jovo

Yotes Offical GDT

Flames Eye View another Fireside Preview

!!!!GO COYOTES!!!!

I SINCERELY HOPE YOU VOTED TODAY

Beware the highs….beware the lows…words to live by as a Coyotes, fan or player. Easier said than done right? But honestly, did you expect the youngest team in the league to come in and actually win this game? Jeeze and I thought I was the biggest abuser of Coyotes Koolaide ever… apparently there are fans elsewhere that imbibe more than even me. C’mon peeps, the Flames have owned us for oooh, around 11 straight games (since 2005) I think we won like 1 of those matchups. As C13 so succinctly put it… we have a long term contract to be the Flamer’s bitch and apparently that contract has not yet expired.

I would love to do a good, bad and ugly run at this baby but truly… it was ugly, putrid then fugly so I am not going to go there. We got a lil too high after sliding past a sleeping Ovechkin, and a big win high is much like any other hangover… it hurts the next day.

Just a few thoughts in the aftermath of the last few games…

Why is Mueller not moving his feet? Is there still a problem with the hip?

Why is Ollie Jokinen not the point man on the PP? Didn’t he sit around 2nd highest in PP points from that spot on the Panthers?

I know every fan in Coyotes Country wanted to see the BIG LINE…aka Doan, Jokinen, Mueller but honestly…its not working, soooo… how bout creating a lil chemistry by keeping at least 2/3s of the 1a and 1b lines together?

Bodz and Joker – (insert random wing here when the urge to shake thiings up gets too intense) add Carcillo/Lisin/Fridge as needed or until one of them clicks… Bodz and Joker seem to get each other just fine. Adding/rotating the other LWs can give extra speed (Lisin) or extra nasty (Fridge) or both (Carci)depending on who the opponent is.

Doan and Mules – (insert random wing here whenever the juggle bug cranks your tractor) add KT or Rhino or Porter as needed or until one of them clicks. We damn well know that Mules practically goes into overdrive when he plays a lot w/ Doaner, why not let that relationship develop further. Slip KT into this line occasionally so he can get the feel of making plays for players who could possibly “get” what he’s trying to set up.

Winni/Tiki/Handzi – LEAVE THIS LINE ALONE! or retire because fixing shit that ain’t broke is asinine and will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you need to be playin golf at a retirement home rather than being behind a bench. Winni is still competing for the nickname Beast (and starting to look like one with all that facial hair. Tiki is sooo close to that first NHL he can almost taste it. And Hanzal… well just damn the boy can sure center a shut down line.

4th line – (we have a 4th line?) oh yeah KT and the irregulars…when KT is stuck back here give him 1 babysitter not 2… talk about overkill and a waste of a learning experience… at least give the boy 1 wing who can actually play hockey.

NEVER! EVER! Play DHL on the PP… for the love of hockey… the guy is very nice… he tries really hard every shift… but why is a guy (handpicked guy even, the worst player on the team? There was a lot of defensive talent available during the offseason and we gambled on Hale) ummm guys? know when to hold ‘em… know when to fold ‘em. Can’t wait til Jlov get off the IR…not sayin he’s the savior of the blueline or anything but sheesh… gotta be better than this.

EDIT**** Yotes pick up Ken Klee off waivers… while not a definitive upgrade… if Klee can be a little more mistake free and keep Yandle on his current course… I will declare him a success… until Jlov comes back and knocks our collective socks off or something else drops into our laps via GMDM’s uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=389088

Despite the weird tire blow in this game…DMo is usually one of the most reliable defensemen in the game. Give him and that big slapper a lil more time on the PP. Especially right now while Jovo isn’t quite up to par. Apparently Jovo has transferred Doaner’s slow start to his side of the fence. He’ll be back… hopefully some time in the next couple of games. He’s shootin that big shot, but Theodore and Kipper really had some serious forcefields up. Its comin, I can feel another career high points, just waiting for the healthy Jovocop… and if we can get some more defense out of him too… well that would be a bonus.

Doan, Jokinen, Jovanovski, Morris, Reinprecht…Between them, they have enough experience and talent to make this team a real threat. Most of them are lagging on the Goal front. Take a look at the total goals for the team…its all about the kids. The veterans need to step up and make their presence felt. Hey guys! The kids don’t need their hands held, they just need their asses covered… their feet have gotten wet, they are doin better than you. Its time to start treating them like NHLers, pass to them, set them up, expect things from them like you would any other team mate. These kids are smart and talented… time to act like you know it too.

Intensity? Screw ‘matching‘ anybody’s intensity. Bring your OWN intensity to every game… as high a level as you can get to and maintain… every stinkin game! The minute your skates touch the ice, your intention should be to knock the hell out of your opponent each and every time they touch YOUR puck along the boards. YOUR PUCK! Every player should play like that lil rubber disk belongs to them and they should rain pain and destruction down on anyone trying to take it… hell on anyone even trying to get to it.

BIG PROPS! to Keith ‘my balls are so big they clank when I skate’ Yandle… yeah it hurt to say that… but the lil guy was everywhere. In Phaneuf’s face, shootin, corrallin loose pucks, name it and Yandle was tryin to do it. Yeah he had the one big brain fart in front of Telly but he actually dived out and knocked the puck away b4 any damage was done. You Go Boy! Best game Yandle has had so far.

So where was the rest of the team when Yandle got pushed into the goal posts in the third period? Vandemeer shoved Yandle to the ice after the whistle and when he got up it was to Phaneuf in his face talkin beaucoup merde. And did anyone on the team step up? ummm that would be a resounding NO! How do we not respond in his defense? How does TGO not send Doan, MacG, Fridge and every other Yote that can kick an ass out on the next shift Phaneuf/Vandemeer are on and send them a message of our own.

But despite the fact that our 5th Dman was in the top 3 players for our team and the fact that we got manhandled, outplayed and then we pretty much just quit… Telly showed a brilliancy that bodes well for when we get our shite together. Thats 2 games in which the Swedish Wolf came up big and gave us the chance to play. Big props to Telly too!

So our patience is required again for 2008… this time to give our youth a chance to get acclimated… and our vets to get their poop in a group. But we started better than we have in years, there’s more than a little promise hitting the ice in our uniforms this season and we’ll just have to hang on while everything gets to gellin. Its only 7 games, we’re sittin 1 below .500, our back up goalie is on fire, our kids are taking to the game like fish to water. We can do this… the pieces are there.

Lets Go Coyotes!

Here we go again! Sittin at .500 and tryin to get on a roll during this 4 game homestand. Thurs game against the Caps was not only fun, it was a revelation. We still didn’t play an entire 60 minutes (the second period was seriously slow, luckily the Caps were flat too) but we came back hard and furious despite missing Tiki who has definitely become a key member of our elite WTH? shut down line.

Match their intensity my ass. We gotta have MORE than them. That will be the key. We have to want it more than they do. We gotta try to run Kipper out of the net, stand Iggy up in the neutral so he can’t kite around thru the middle. Beat their defense up as much as possible and make sure lil Cammaleri doesn’t slink thru and bite us either. I know that is a LOT to ask for but it is possible (when we managed to contain the Caps, is anything impossible for our boys at home?)

The same keys to the game apply in this game… only the names change and some added talent calibre. This time its bad ass power forward war w/ Iginla and Doaner head to head for leadership and taking over a game. Its Phaneuf on the back end who can score and knock the hell out of you and will throw down at the drop of a hat. The addition of Sir Cammaleri from the Kings adds a dimension of stealth that the Flamers didn’t have before. Instead of all bang and crash ugly scoring, Cam adds some extra danger to their scoring arsenal.

Containment- Stop Iginla from making the game go his way. NO space! NO time! He can take tenths of a second and make them seem like years. Do NOT give Phaneuf a shooting lane. Frankenhead Phaneuf can make goalies cry with that monster shot of his. Sir Cam cannot be alowwed to canoodle around in our zone, he’s good at zipping around playing keep away… feed him some boards and make him keep looking over his shoulder.

Volume - 1 goal games are fine as long as you are on the winning end. Much better to get something from each of the big vet offensemen (JV played so well against the Caps, it’d sure be nice to see him get his first of the year tonight) and a throw in from a couple of the youngins…get the game out of reach and don’t let off the pedal (the Flamers hijacked a 0 – 3 game last night and came away with a 5 – 3 win) we don’t wanna be that statistic tonight. We have to play these guys all 60 minutes, Kipper needs to thnk its raining pucks (I wonder if Doaner splits another puck and both pieces go in the net will both count as goals?) LOL Peter Mueller! move your damn feet! Spectacular things happen when you do boyo.

Netminding Miracle - Ask and ye shall receive. We asked Telly to give us a fighting chance… he did more than that. The boy practically turned himself inside out for us. I hate to ask for more but tonight its going to be another hellfight and Telly will have to survive the first moments until we get our legs movin. It sure would be sweet if Tells can establish himself as more than just a premiere ‘back up’ goalie… maybe this is the year Telly gets his consistency issues under control? How sweet this win could be. Go Telly!

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=388401

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=Preview&seas=20082009&gtype=2&gnum=119

graphics provided by Q of the P6P – thnx Qbert

Ok… Are Wayne and Co slicker than snake snot or crazy as bat shit?

Seriously… if you listened to the game last night you know whereof I speak. The first couple of games were a nice mix of vets and youth… very young goalies though, so expectations weren’t too high. We did okay… nothing spectacular, Bodz, KT, Ports and Ahne all had pretty decent runs once the jitters wore off. So we sent some kidz home to the minors (where they can develop at a nice pace, hurry back Brodie you did quite well ) and that Monty gave a us a wee taste of why GMDM is so crushing on him.

But last night’s game against the Flambe must have been the sorriest roster I have seen in a looong time. Seriously… horrible.

13 L DANIEL CARCILLO
14 C CHAD KOLARIK
15 C MICHAEL ZIGOMANIS (A)
16 R BRIAN MCGRATTAN
18 R ENVER LISIN
21 D DAVID HALE (A)
23 C KEVIN PORTER
24 D JONAS AHNELOV
36 D LOGAN STEPHENSON
39 C GARTH MURRAY
41 R VIKTOR TIKHONOV
44 D KURT SAUER (A)
56 D DREW FATA
59 R JEFF HOGGAN
62 R DAVE SPINA
73 R STEVEN GOERTZEN
75 D ED STONE
85 R ALEX BOURRET
32 G MIKAEL TELLQVIST
35 G AL MONTOYA

VS

4 D JAMES VANDERMEER
6 D CORY SARICH
7 R TODD BERTUZZI (A)
8 D ANDERS ERIKSSON
12 R JAROME IGINLA (C)
13 L MIKE CAMMALLERI
18 C MATTHEW LOMBARDI
20 L CURTIS GLENCROSS
23 L ERIC NYSTROM
27 R ANDRE ROY
28 D ROBYN REGEHR (A)
33 D ADRIAN AUCOIN
42 L BRETT SUTTER
60 C MIKAEL BACKLUND
61 D JOHN NEGRIN
62 R KRIS CHUCKO
63 C WARREN PETERS
75 C JOHN ARMSTRONG
1 G CURTIS MCELHINNEY
34 G MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF

When DHL is your point on the PP? C’mon you know thats a bad roster, the poor guy hasn’t gotten a goal in 215+ games? on your PP point? Hale on the PP aside, the only thing last night’s roster had goin for it was Telly and try though he might he had no help in front of the net most of the game.

So with a roster that smelled to high heaven and still managed to hang with the Flamers (of which I am very proud they did not get completely slaughtered… w/ Kipper in net for most of the game) is Wayne a genius for never quite showing our full hand? Hell I been watchin these boys for the last 5 weeks in various formats and I’m still not quite sure what exactly we have goin for us. So good luck to anyone scouting us.

Or has TGO lost his everloving mind? I’ve heard of getting your feet wet approach, but it never involved throwing of the entire body of a novice swimmer into the deep end and expecting Michael Phelps to emerge.

I’m torn… well I wasn’t last night when I was yelling at the online feed, Fools! charlatans! crazy summabitches what are you doing? But now that my adrenalin and blood pressure have both lowered a bit… I have to wonder.

Kudos: Lisin w/ 2 goals (and almost had the hattie), Tiki w/ the face saving goal last night, Porter for a very poised couple of games, Monty for a couple of very decent performances, KT and Bodz for holdin their own and then some. Keefe vs Ivanans? speaks for itself that he not only survived but came back into the game to harrass the big enforcer again. Ahne, lookin good back there.

Razzberries: Tordjy… dude just brutal. Jones/Yandle combo on the blueline…should never even be thought of by any rational human being. Rossi… get some intensity… steal it if you have to.

Ok this is getting really crazy… I can’t keep up LOL

Two more players sent down to their minor teams today… Nick Ross to Kamloops (WHL) and Jared Staal back to Sudbury (OHL) there will be many more to come in the next few days I am sure.

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Tonight’s game in Winnipeg, rosters look like this

Forwards:
Dustin Boyd, Rene Bourque, Mike Cammalleri, Craig Conroy, Kyle Greentree, Daymond Langkow, Matthew Lombardi, David Moss, Wayne Primeau, Brandon Prust, Andre Roy, David Van der Gulik
Defenceman:
Mark Giordano, Adam Pardy, Matt Pelech, Dion Phaneuf, Jim Vandermeer, Rhett Warrener
Goaltenders: Matt Keetley, Curtis McElhinney

(Cammie wont be in according to 960 and alas, no Iggy to pop but there’s always Neon Dion! or Frankenhead Phaneuf if you prefer)

VS

Forwards:
Shane Doan-Kevin Porter-Enver Lisin
Daniel Carcillo-Kyle Turris-Mikkel Boedker
Jeff Hoggan-Garth Murray-Chad Kolarik
Francis Lessard-Mike Zigomanis-Brian McGrattan (guess Lessard is stickin around despite acting like a double strength straight jacket might be required in the last practice I saw.)

Defense:
Mathieu Brodeur, Matt Jones, Ryan Lannon, Dylan Reese, Kurt Sauer, Keith Yandle.

Goalies: Al Montoya, Josh Tordjman.

May be able to listen on Rogers sportsnet west or hockeywebcasts.com or am960 hopefully one of those will work to get you some audio.

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Congrats to BillyT our former forward (the Pens have shaved their roster down to like 29 and Billy Thomas is hanging in there!)

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Articles everywhere! How the hell are we supposed to stay under the radar if everyone keeps shining spotlights on us?

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/JimGintonio/34008

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=383113

(gonna have a show on tonight right after the game is over, don’t miss it)

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=250326

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2008/09/23/20080923yotenb0924.html

(special nod goes out to Adam Keefe who took on Ivanans in the King’s Preseason game… the boy has a pair of cojones on him, thats for sure)

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=rm-phoenixpreview092308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

(Jovo and DMo on a pairing? ummm nope can’t even see it…)

Okay thats all the news and notes I could get coherently in a single post… and since I still have tuns of other stuff that I haven’t finished writing up… I will leave you here with all this Yoties goodness…

For more sources of discussion and/or information, check the blog roll, PB is back in action over at Onefan’s Perspective, Tracey is back in Love w/ our Yotes over at TrueCoyotes Love and the kids in the AZSportshub Lockerroom are back on track as well as theNHLArena.com (congrats to Paul, who will be developing the Yoties section of the arena for the future)