Five Things The Red Wings Taught Us About the Coyotes

Jim Neveau, Icy Coyotes Guest Contributor

There are certain times during an NHL season in which a team finds out something about themselves. Whether it’s a stern road test or when a period of adversity hits, a squad will often find out whether or not they have the capacity or skill to compete for the ultimate prize: the Stanley Cup.

When it comes to the adversity factor, perhaps no other team in the NHL has faced the kind of obstacles to success that the Phoenix Coyotes have. From their potential sale and move to Hamilton, or even the financial restrictions that have been placed upon them by their limited income in the Valley of the Sun, the Coyotes have every reason to just bow to pressure and remain in the corner of the NHL room, begging for scraps and never finding true success.

If Tuesday night is any indication, then the Coyotes are not content to just be the team looking for sympathy. They took the Red Wings’ best shot and held their ground. They answered the bell when it mattered most, scoring twice in the last 90 seconds of the contest and Shane Doan eventually netted the winner in overtime, beating Detroit 5-4 for only the Coyotes’ third win over the Red Wings in the past four seasons.

Thanks to Versus, and the NHL, Tuesday night taught the hockey watching nation five important things about the Phoenix Coyotes. Yes, the final score certainly showed that they belong with the big boys all on its own, but these five nuggets are more important than the two points the ‘Yotes gained in the standings.

1. There Is No Self-Destruct Button On The SS Coyotes

In the second period, there was a palpable momentum shift in favor of Phoenix. They scored two goals approximately two minutes apart to take the lead over Detroit, and the Joe went fairly silent.

A mere 11 seconds later, the Red Wings scored to tie the game again, revving up the crowd and sending shock waves through the Coyote bench.

Normally, a team would hang its head after holding a lead for such a brief period of time, but the Coyotes continued to bust their butts, skating up and down the ice with passion, and they never stopped applying pressure on the Red Wings.

Even when the Wings held a 4-2 lead late in the game, Phoenix never quit, and this resolve was rewarded with two quick goals against Jimmy Howard (including one by Ed Jovanovski that came on a puck in the crease that Mike Babcock would have murdered to have had cleared), and the eventual game winner by Doan was simply icing on the cake.

Under Dave Tippett, this team seems to have no quit in them. Where last year’s team scuffled the entire second half of the season, this year’s team is holding strong during a particularly rough stretch of schedule. Having already played the Sharks, Red Wings, Devils, and Predators this month, Phoenix is hanging tough as games against the struggling Flames and the Rangers loom on the horizon.

2. Ilya Bryzgalov May Finally Be Coming Into His Own in Phoenix

He was being bandied about as an early season Vezina candidate, but recently Ilya Bryzgalov has had a couple of bumps in the road.

He was yanked early against the Buffalo Sabres, allowing 3 goals on 13 shots in what ended up being a 7-2 drubbing. This was a mere three games after he was also pulled early against the New York Islanders after giving up four goals in the first 30 minutes of the contest (you’ll remember that this was the game that Tippett forgot to put someone in the penalty box coming out of the first intermission, and the Coyotes skated a man down for 13 minutes in the second period).

Last night, the box score will tell you that Bryzgalov gave up four goals to a Detroit attack that is still recuperating from a spate of injuries early in the year, but what it won’t tell you is that the 32 shots he stopped were for the most part high quality chances, and that the outcome  could have been a lot worse if Ilya hadn’t stepped up.

Through it all, he maintained focus and didn’t let the quick-firing Detroit attackers rattle him, and he was a big part of the reason Phoenix won the game.

3. The Phoenix Defense Could Use Some Better Pressure

Watching the Red Wings skate circles around Phoenix defenders all night certainly left Coyotes fans with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Whether it was missed poke checks or collapsing on one side of the ice and leaving men wide open, the young Coyotes blue liners were being victimized all night by the veteran onslaught of Detroit. It was a poor display of defensive hockey that certainly had Tippett wringing his hands in anguish, and it is something that needs to be worked on moving forward by a young team that may find itself in the playoffs in two and a half months.

4. You Know Who Needs More Credit? Scottie Upshall

One of the principals involved in the Daniel Carcillo trade, Upshall is quietly having an excellent season for the Coyotes.

He is leading the team in goals this season, with 18, and he also has four game winners this season, tied for the team lead. Perhaps his most impressive statistic, however, is his shot percentage, which stands at 15.4% and leads the team as well.

When you have the team leader in goals also leading it in shot percentage, you have a very gifted player on your hands. Upshall is as unheralded as they come in the desert, and without him the Coyotes would be sunk.

5. Shane Doan

Have you ever made a mistake in life, and just prayed and prayed and prayed for an opportunity to redeem yourself, and then you get it?

Well, Shane Doan had that happen to him on Tuesday night. He committed the penalty that allowed the Red Wings to score their fourth goal in the third period, and it looked like it was going to be the dagger that ended the Coyotes’ hopes of a comeback, as well as sealing their eight straight loss at Joe Louis Arena.

After the comeback in the third period forced overtime, Doan got his opportunity for atonement, and he put a puck past Jimmy Howard to win the game for the Coyotes. After wanting to “crawl under the bench and hide” Doan did what he has done best in his career: net the big shot.

Overall, this was a huge win for the Coyotes, and was the quintessential “statement” game. This game served notice to the Red Wings, and the rest of the NHL, that this Phoenix team means business, and it could be a great omen for the months ahead.

At a time when hockey in the Valley needs a shot in the arm, this Coyotes team may be just the squad to do it.

Jim also provides other hockey goodness over at the Fanball blog “Paint it Blackhawks”. Check it out sometime, won’t ya?

Tags: Buffalo Sabres, Dave Tippett, Detroit Red Wings, Ilya Bryzgalov, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Scottie Upshall, Shane Doan