55 minutes of some pretty good hockey… that I didn’t get to see. But trust me when I say Heeter’s vocal picture painting was graphic enough to give me a few night mares. Before I respond to the kvetching and moaning… did you really expect this to be a sweep? Or even to take this in 5? Really? The Detroit Red Wings? WOW, you are either a fool or need to get stronger meds. We’re not done, not by a long shot. Shake it off. Have some faith.
We’ve got them exactly where we want them. Okay we’d probably prefer to have another game up on them returning to home ice but hey… 2 – 2 for a series with the Ded is a hell of a decent result. This Coyotes team isn’t done yet. Every time we encounter adversity we might stumble for a minute but the coaching staff figures out ways to counter the problem. This little set back will be no different. We will find a way to counter Shane’s absence and we will find a way to bring back our physical play. AND we will find a way to win game 5.
Did we miss Shane Doan? Hell yeah. Was that the reason for our less than stellar play? Hell no. We played a very decent game. Unfortunately, decent won’t get it done against a team like Detroit. So where did we go wrong?
Getting out hit 43-27? Owwwch. We shoulda been on the other side of those numbers for sure… and we woulda been with Shane’s 7 – 10 hits, you can tell we missed him. But where was the replacement hitting? What were the guys with the extra minutes doing out there? Mani/pedis? If we don’t rush these guys and force them make mistakes we end up chasing and that is just not going to win us games against one of the best teams in the NHL.
Getting outshot by a narrow margin of 35 – 29 isn’t too big of a deal. We’ll call this quid pro quo. But when our Z gets 4sogs and some of our offensive guys get none? Well, I don’t think I need to say more on that now do I?
0 – 6 on our soul sucking, pathetic, life threatening (might give me an aneurysm at this rate), morbidly fascinating (like a train wreck, you know it will be brutal but you can’t look away and you just pray we survive it) power play is completely unacceptable. We have some serious speed, it kills. (watch film on Stempniak or Prucha and Vrbata using it to break into their zone on the EV strength entries… how much better would it work when they are down a man?) I know we’re looking for lanes, I know you can’t just blindly shoot and I know it isn’t easy but I also know that we need to stop playing the perimeter, need to get bodies in front, limit the number of passes and take some chances. Yes, Detroit blocks shots but how about a high lob or two that drop behind their defenders then everybody crashes and scrums? It is ugly but it also works. How about somebody not named Doan risks life & limb in front of Howie? How about we concentrate on at least improving to at least one or two shots on net during one of these fiascoes? Better yet how about we just decline it like football or give it to them and let Fiddy get us a shorty? Seriously, if we played with as much urgency on the PP as we do on the PK, we might just have a decent man advantage once in awhile. The PP doesn’t have to be all about strategy, sometimes it can be about brute force and the ugly garbage play.
The Wings have adjusted fairly well to our onslaught of physical play and to us shutting the game down to Coyotes tempo. So we need to turn it up a notch or three. Keys to game 5 victory tomorrow night?
Intensity and urgency – this is now a best of three series. We simply can’t go back to DET down 2-3. We have to play the game as smart and physical as we ever have. We have to have puck possession immediately and we have to have shots on goal instead of 25 feet wide of the net perimeter lobs all night.
Physicality – everyone not wearing a Coyotes jersey needs to have a Coyotes caused bruise. Its not just finishing a check or two, its hitting harder and smarter. Don’t take yourself out of position to make a hit. But when you get that hitting opportunity, make it hurt. Take your man out of the play. It does no good to hit the guy and have him jump right back into the play or come away with the puck. If they have your puck, take it away and make sure that guy knows that every time he touches your puck he will pay for it.
Shots – we have rattled Jimmy Howard before. It is time to make him lose his composure again. He got a shut out… big whoop, hope he enjoyed it. Time to make him eat puck. Make this kid move. If he can’t get set, he can’t defend himself. Ugly shots, off speed junk, bombs and lobs with traffic ready to nail those second and third chances will win the day.
Win the neutral zone war – expand our zone out past our blue. If we own the neutral, we own the Wings. Stop them from coming in with speed. If they get set up, Holmie or Bert will shove their big asses in Bryzzies face and all hell breaks out. If their offense is having trouble gettin in, those boys have to spread out and help, freeing Bryz to get a look at their shots. When we own the neutral, we win the games.
Shane Doan or not, we have to play Coyotes hockey. We have to set the tone and the tempo. Hit often, shoot even more and shut down anyone trying to go anywhere with our puck. Own the ice! (and hurry back Shane, you’ve waited a lifetime for this and we miss you)
Looks like game 5 is just about sold out too. I hope to see you all there tomorrow night. Wear white! We get pom poms tomorrow, get loud and shake them proudly.
As always… Go Coyotes!