Hot, Hotter, Hottest

Prior to last night’s Coyotes-Red Wings game, I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Fanball’s Red Wings correspondent Chris Hollis. Here’s how the interview went down:

CH: Is Ilya Bryzgalov’s hot start the real deal, or is this just a flash in the pan?

JE: Ilya Bryzgalov is playing way over his head right now and I’m loving it! We typically do not get this type of production out of Brizzy until the November and December months. ‘Yotes fans are also aware of his streakiness. So, I do expect Brizzy to come back to Earth sometime but arise again during those holiday months. Either way, I still expect Brizzy to have a better year than last year. The defense has also stepped up and that’s only been helping.

CH: How important has the addition of Dave Tippett been to this team and the Coyotes organization?

JE: Tippett’s been huge. He lives, breathes and sleeps all things hockey. He has Olympic experience. He knows how to win 50 games. I haven’t heard or read one complaint that the players have had. When he first came to Phoenix, he installed what he calls a “pack mentality” which I accredit with the Coyotes’ surprising start. It’s also nice to have a real coach whose persona doesn’t overshadow that of the whole team.

CH: One player the Wings should watch out for tonight?

JE: Aside from the usual suspects (Shane Doan, Ed Jovanovski and Ilya Bryzgalov), I’d keep an eye on is Lauri Korpikoski. He’s likely to see very little ice time tonight but I will explain this pick in a little more depth later on.

CH: One player from the Wings that makes you nervous?

JE: That’s an easy one. Chris Osgood. Over the past couple of years, he’s absolutely owned us. In the past five games, that I know for sure, Osgood is 5-0 against us. Osgood vs. Bryzgalov is going to make for one great game of hockey.

CH: Prediction?

JE: I predict that the Coyotes will continue to ride this streak a little longer and escape with a 2-1 shootout victory. Hopefully, we won’t see too much of Datsyuk tonight. This is where I see Korpikoski coming up big again. He won the shootout for us against the Sharks two weeks ago. You’ve got to see this kid in practice; he’s constantly starting trick shot and shooting competitions.

CH: BONUS: Please justify the ‘Yotes moving Kevin Porter back down to the minors. I’m a HUGE Michigan fan and Porter is one of my favorite players (I saw the exhibition game against TBL in Washington this year), but why send a guy back down that looked so well equipped to play with the big club?

JE: Having your hometown kid Porter called up on the 16th, let him watch a game from the press box and recalled on the 18th is just baffling. He obviously seems ready to play but I get the feeling that the club is going to treat him like a baseball team treats their young ace. They don’t want to damage the future right out of the gate, similar to what happened to Erik Johnson in St. Louis. But, that’s just my guess. Management’s been pretty tight-lipped. All of our centers are doing a pretty good job right now, so playing time could also be an issue. I could easily see him getting recalled again during the first week of November because we have an easier slate of game that month.

CH: Thanks for the insight John. Here’s hoping Bryzgalov returns to Earth tonight and Korpikoski winds up throwing the puck into the eighth row if it goes to a shootout.

So, here’s the recap from last night’s game and that interview:

1. I had stated that we would win in but I knew against that tough Detroit team that it would have to be won in more than just three periods. I got that part right. But, I guessed two goals too many.
2. For the first time in over two years, the Coyotes beat Osgood!
3. Matthew Lombardi scored with an amazing slap shot in the first, ending the goalie showdown that I had alluded to. But, I don’t care. Every goal Lombardi scores pulls my heart further and further away from Jokinen.
4. Petr Prucha’s goal in the third broke the tie and sent the showdown into OT. Prucha and a handful of other ‘Yotes had swarmed and attacked the net, making Osgood look like Dennis Nedry.
5. For those of who didn’t get the Nedry reference, as always, I included a pic.

6. The Coyotes are now running their “We Win, You Win” promotion. Basically, if you go to any of the following games:
• This Saturday vs. the Kings
• November 14th vs. the Stars
• December 5th vs. the Senators
• January 16th vs. the Wild
• February 13th vs. the Stars

And the ‘Yotes win, you’ll get a free ticket to a future Coyotes game. The best bet may be to go to the February 13th game. You see, bring your date to the game and say it’s for Valentine’s Day. Then, once the Coyotes win, you’ll have a guaranteed second date! It’s foolproof and you’re welcome. Although, if you can convince a girl to let you take her to a hockey game for Valentine’s Day then you probably should just marry her right away.

7. Our next game will be Saturday and against the Kings. It will be another good showdown to watch. The Kings and ‘Yotes have a lot in common. We are both in first place in our respective divisions, we have baffled all critics with our **surprising** starts and both teams have a solid collection of young and veteran playmakers.
8. My prediction about Korpikoski’s role was waaay off. He only saw six minutes and 22 seconds worth of ice time. He had one shot on goal and made one decent hit.

THREE STARS OF FANTASY HOCKEY

1. Matthew Lombardi – third goal of the year was a long distance slap shot that broke the zero-zero tie.
2. Petr Prucha – Led the raptor attack on Osgood. His second goal in ’09 sent the Coyotes into overtime with the momentum.
3. Adrian Aucoin – showing age was nothing, he collected his fourth assist during regulation. In overtime, his beautifully angled slap shot gave Phoenix their Winner Winner Octopus-free Dinner!

In completely, utterly, unrelated news: Congrats to Alyssa and Caterina! These two Phoenix natives are Top Ten Finalists in Maxim Magazine’s annual Hometown Hotties competition! I’d love to post their pics on this blog, but I fear they might be too racy. So, any indented word in this final paragraph works great in search engines. Wink. Wink.

Tags: Adrian Aucoin, Chris Hollis, Mstthew Lombardi, Petr Prucha