I’d rather have let someone else take the Ded out of the equation.They are finally healthy and they are backing Jimmy Howard like a mad thing. Datsyuk is being absolutely Datsyukian (look it up… its a real word LOL it means to play absolutely out of your mind and make your opponents look like hopeless sieves/morons/buffons while you do it) They are truly built for the post season. I don’t know if THEY even know how many extra gears they have to get the job done with.
On the other hand… we’ve got some piss n vinegar to spare. Our nasty 4th line is going to have to limit all those role players who play like superstars in the post season. Our 1st and 2nd lines have been hot and have been known to stay hot for nice stretches. Doan has finally come to life which was huge for us. (9 hits? The Doaner is taking donations and the Wings heads are swiveling) Jovocop isn’t just back, he’s hunting down Red Wings like they stole something. ( 7 hits and an attitude like a rattler that’s been poked with a stick) Keith Yandle may be the baby of the bunch but he’s creating Yandlemonium every time he steps on the ice (1 goal and 1 assist! to say the kid is all grown up is to understate the advances Yands has made this season.) Bryzzie got caught on a puck that almost got away from Holmstrom and went offspeed but he shrugged it off and went Bryzlin wall on them. (Don’t let that amiable bear cub act fool you. There is a Papa Grizzly inside that #30 sweater. A very hungry, grizzly at that.) DMolition man Morris brought the Wings house down on Wednesday and I’m betting that he’s not done yet. The secret to the Coyotes success isn’t one or two players. It isn’t the new kids making their mark. It is simply sweat equity, soul effort, giving the best you got and backing your team to the very end.
I bet my snake against any stinkin octopus, any given day. The Wings say they aren’t worried about our physical play but we’ll probably see some roster changes from them to start game 2. Abeldaker plays a more physical game… let’s see if he’s in this “not worried” game plan. I’m betting the Wings spent the night checking to see if they have any antivenin in their supplies. The snake has risen and like all traditions it has to start somewhere and biting the Wing’s backside is a pretty good place to start. Just the fact that the fans have started their own grass roots tradition tells you something about the belief of the people in the desert. The love they have for this team. Forget Cinderella… she is just too wienie for this story. This team, this improbable season is the story of the Phoenix, burned and discarded by all but the very faithful. Only to rise up better, stronger and hell even more beautiful than before. We aren’t worried about midnight or glass slippers. We’re about one thing and one thing only. WINNING!
To get our goal done, we’re taking it one game at a time. Playing Tippett hockey. Coyotes hockey. Playoff hockey.The match ups will once again be brutal but we’ll have to do 3 things consistently to get this done.
Traffic, traffic, traffic in front of the net. (Doesn’t have to be large bodies blocking the view although it works really well with our alpha dawg Doan… it can be lil pests like Prucha zipping in close to Jimmy, dancing around in there like an oversized mosquito, Jimmy doesn’t like that and it can get him off stride) Howard has been spectacular in spurts but he has no idea about playoff pressure. Time to teach him to fear the Desert Dawgs.
Someone to shadow, impede, harass and work Dats (ummm, yeah good luck with that?) It can be done… its just that Datsyuk is a player who will always get his share of points. What has to be done is limit him to only his share if not less. Zetterbergh has been a man on a mission but he can be stopped by a determined checker through the neutral. Jovocop, please distract Holmstrom without drawing penalties (Z just doesn’t have the body mass for it even though he tries really hard, its like trying to move a redwood. ) Holmie don’t like to be messed with, impede him from getting to your crease and screw with him to piss him off again and keep negating one of the Wings biggest dependencies and strengths. Taking these 3 out of the equation are the keys to the kingdom of second round.
Play Tippett hockey. Forechecking, backchecking, all checking, will be critical in this series. Defense cannot lapse even for a second. Bryz can give us the chance but it will be up to the defensive partners to give the big guy the coverage he’ll need to hold the fort.
We found a power play. Let’s keep it!
We can win this series. We are as good as any team in the league. If you just have to have your fairytale, remember that this Cinderella is still dancing and the clock isn’t anywhere near midnight. So I will see you all at the 2010 WhiteOut tonight!
As always… Go Coyotes!