Your Desert Dogs are hot
September 22nd, 2008 by thewordbirdThis young, brash and calulated team has a very good chance to secure a playoff chance and challenge the Pacific’s Stars, Ducks, and Sharks during the year outright. Seriously. Stealing into the playoffs is NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. Key elements make this argument feasible.
Goaltending:
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Ilya Bryzgalov was the fruit for head office knowing that their ‘lower’ position in the standings and cap room would help them in obtaining the steady and often stellar netminder mid-season last year. Kudos.
Waiting out the Ducks and analyzing the situation proved to be a huge steal and paid off big time last year, nearly getting them to the playoffs. Add to that the addition of Michael Tellqvist to back-up and 23-year-olds Al Montoya and Josh Tordjman will definately keep competition honest.
20 year-old Swede Joel Gistedt has the makings of a blue-chip ‘tending prospect. With Grant Fuhr and Sean Burke in the fold to lend an ear to problems and steady the troupe, things are bright.
Centres:
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It is a must to healthy, deep and skilled at the centre position. The ‘Yotes have skill and depth to be reckoned with, further than most may realize.
Obviously Olli Jokinen is a top centreman and can really take the squad to new heights with his reliability up front. Phoenix has a pivot plethora and could use the upgrade over last year; as a team the Coyotes placed 26th overall in faceoff percentage. Keep in mind that alternate Captain Steven Reinprecht is both reliable and versatile. Bryzgalov and Reinprecht are the only players on the team that have won a Stanley Cup.
Wunderkind Kyle Turris is all but a lock to make the team and be afforded big minutes. Sophomore Martin Hanzal has undergone surgery, yet has already begun skating with the team-ahead of schedule. Peter Mueller grew up as a centre and yet has acclimated himself on most nights as a winger. Joel Perrault is one that will be given good consideration, yet Kevin Porter is no stranger to the dot and could really make a push to make this club.
Staff:
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The coaching staff is deep with elite talent of yesteryears. We all know that Wayne gretzky is the part owner and Head Coach of this club. I’m sure that he runs most everything he is in contact with on Phoenix and has considerable influence. Grant Fuhr and Sean Burke are both pulling down paycheques on the coaching staff. Ulf Samuelsson has been on hand directing practices in rookie camps lately and is an Associate Coach as well. Derek MacKinnon has been hired on after working as an advance scout and then as the Video Coach for Dallas.
Major additions in Jokinen and the new kids has the excitement back in the desert. The goaltending is proven and solid, which is a bit of an oddity on an up-and-coming team. The top four are solid, but in order to have Cup contending depth, one must have more grit and bodies to call upon. The defense has some worried and we will have a look at that in a bit better depth coming up.
22 September 2008
Robin Keith Thompson
2 Responses to “Your Desert Dogs are hot”
By jstainer on Sep 23, 2008
If I wasn’t an Oiler fan for life I would be cheering on the Dogs. I LOVE this team and the fact that Gretzky is at the helm makes me want to cheer for them even more. If they make the playoffs, I just hope it isn’t at the expense of the Oilers (though that is likely)
By thewordbird on Sep 23, 2008
I am of the mind that the Oilers and Coyotes are two of a certain handful of teams that are only going UP.
I really hope that both make the playoffs, as the style and brand these two bring to the rink is dead on what the NHL should be selling.
Right on Jstainer. Love to hear the howl.