Catching up with the Coyotes...

Wow, I haven’t written much lately. I was just so depressed after that Chicago loss I found it hard to get up the motivation to write. But don’t worry, I’m back now. I’m sure y’all missed me.

A quick hit on the Chicago game. First off, I’m not sure Carcillo should have played. He was obviously not his usual self, probably all hopped up on pain medicine. Telly let in four goals and was replaced by Bryz in the second. I do find it funny how when Bryz let’s in four goals in the first, he is allowed to stay in. When Telly does it, he gets pulled. And it really shouldn’t have been four goals, one was a distinct kicking motion (they reviewed it and called it good but it really shouldn‘t have counted). Two of them were a direct result of the D breaking down. The other one rolled in off the crossbars, would have been difficult for anyone to stop. Ok, done with Chicago.
***
Thursday night the Lightning came to town. This was also the debut of what we like to call the “Bad Boys Line”. Carcillo-Murray-Fridge. I am loving this line. They hit. A lot.

The refs missed a whole bunch of calls against the Lightning, but nevertheless, the Coyotes prevailed and won the game. Hale had a great shot from the blue line that lead to Kyle Turris getting the game winner. KT has really started to come into his own.

Jokinen finally showed up and got us our first power play goal in like ever.

Carcillo took a high stick to the mouth (no call) and went off the ice for a bit in the third. This should have been a 4 minute penalty, as there was blood on the ice. We also have lost Tiki for awhile. He injured his hand while blocking a shot. He will be placed on IR.
***
Last night we faced the Dallas Stars who were coming off a 6-1 loss to the Wings. I expected the Stars to be out for blood, but we out hit them 36-20. Someone must have pissed in Doan’s cheerios because I think he hit more guys this game then he has all season. The Bad Boys Line was hitting anything in a Stars uniform.

The goalies were outstanding last night. We ended the game tied 0-0. At one point Turco came out of his crease, almost all the way to the blue line, and checked Lindstrom. Where was our goalie-checking Fridge? Turco seemed to stay in his crease whenever Fridge was out there.

There were a lot of missed calls against the Stars. I counted at least 5 during the third period.
We were all a bit worried going into OT as we have not won in OT/Shootout yet this season. Somehow we were able to hold off the Stars and take it to a shoot out.

In the shoot out we sent out Lindstrom, Mueller, Jokinen, Rhino and KT. Mueller, Rhino and KT scored for us (with KT getting the game winner). Bryz let in two shots, but the second one was kind of odd. The puck hit the blocker and kind of trickled into the net on an odd bounce. There wasn’t much he could have done. Although it was heartbreaking to watch. We were all standing and when that went in we sat down (only for a second).

There 3 Stars were:
3. KT
2. Turco
1. Bryz

The goalies definitely deserved to be stars, but I would have put KT above Turco just because we were on home ice.
***
In other news, Boedker was named the the NHL Young-Stars game. He totally deserves that honor. He works hard, hits and gets things done on the ice.

Doan was also honored by being named to the All-Star game. Doan was the one guy on the Coyotes who totally deserved it (of the three that were on the ballot).

Congrats to both Doan and Boedker. I have no doubt they will represent the Coyotes with class and dignity.
***
Winnik was sent down to San Antonio for a two-week conditioning stint. He may return early with Tiki out for an undisclosed amount of time.
***
Up next the Coyotes go on a long road trip. It starts off Tuesday night in Minnesota. We then play on the road Thursday (Canucks), Saturday (Flames) and Sunday (Oilers). The Coyotes then come home on Tuesday the 20th and play the Redwings. This road trip will be a telling stint for the Coyotes. They play some pretty tough teams (Wild, Flames) and then home to play the Wings. This week may be the telling in whether the Coyotes are ready for the play-offs or not. Hopefully we can get at least another 6 points out of this. Minnesota and Calgary will be a challenge but if they aren’t ready the Oilers and Canucks could easily take the wins too.

O.M.G.

I think the Coyotes missed the memo that there was a game tonight.

I honestly can't write anything right now. I have some thoughts, but they are all jumbled. I can't think straight.

I just pray that Minnesota lost. That will help ease the pain of the Coyotes loss (sorry Ms. C, but if MN wins, they tie us point wise and we need all the help we can get right now).

Ducks 2, Coyotes 0

Last night the Coyotes were in Anaheim and it was a radio only broadcast. I listened to it but I am a visual person and like to see hockey but I made some notes, read some articles and looked at pictures and will still bring you my lunch time thoughts on the game.

The scratches for the Coyotes were Turris and Yandle. I had a feeling it would be those two, as for Yandle both Hale and Klee have played exceptional games recently and Turris looked off in the last home game. We needed a little bit of toughness against the Ducks, so I had a feeling Turris would sit and Carcillo would play. Bryz was also back in net after sitting the last couple games due to a sore back.

Carcillo was on a line with Fridge and Tiki. From the broadcast, this was probably our best line out there. Carcillo had 4 hits, 4 SOG and drew two penalties (one being a 4 minute double minor). Unfortunately, he did not return after the high stick he received, so all of this was in the first two periods. There was nothing in the articles I read that indicated if the injury was something serious or not. Apparently after receiving the high stick he went into the boards pretty hard and had difficulty getting up and skating back to the bench.

Lisin really came alive in the third and seemed to be the only one shooting at the net and really trying to do something out there. Also notable was Klee and Hale. Where was the rest of our defense last night?

Twice last night the Coyotes took a “too many men on the ice” penalty and the Ducks were able to score. To me this is a breakdown in communication between the players and the Coach. Gretzky is the one who ultimately should have made sure that this call was not made. I can see it happening once (it happens to all teams at some point) but twice? This should not have happened twice. If it wasn’t for these calls, the Ducks may not have scored and the game may have turned out differently. I am not saying we would have one, but it might have been a different game.
***
Next up we have Chicago on Tuesday. This game will not turn out well if we play like we did last night. Chicago is quickly becoming a thorn in our sides, much like Minnesota was. I don’t expect to win every single night but I do expect my team to at least put 100% effort into each game. It was obvious they did not do that last night. They will need to in order to beat Chicago.

Winter Classic

New Years day offered us hockey fans the second annual Winter Classic. Finally, something for us non-football fans to enjoy. I will admit to having watched bowl games in the past, but only if the Badgers were playing and someone was having a party. The past two years though I have been able to enjoy my first love, hockey. Both years have been a success and are expected to continue for many years. Even people who do not usually watch hockey checked out the Winter Classic.

I have read that some people thought this year was better than last years. Some complained about the snow last year but I loved it. It added another element to the game, another challenge for the boys to overcome and it looked like winter. I also liked the teams last year better being a big fan of many of Buffalo’s players. But all-in-all, I think both years have been great and could do so much for the emergence of the NHL in your typical “non-hockey” markets.

Personally, I did not like either teams this year but hoped for a ‘Hawks win. Unfortunately Detroit decided to show up in the second and third and won the game 6-4. There also was a lot of tension, pushing/shoving incurred around the crease quite often. This is a good way to get more casual/first time fans into the game, show the passion that the players have.

As a girl into fashion and hockey, I have to say I was not in love with either of the teams “retro” looks. Detroit looked like candy canes with their stripped socks. I hope they never play the Wild with that outfit on; we’d have the elves and the candy canes battling it out. Oh wait… That could be next years Winter Classic! I am a genius! I did like the colors of the ‘Hawks uniform but they had too many stripes, both vertical and horizontal, making it hard to look at.

Both Strader and Pang were there. Pang did last years Winter Classic and was invited back again for commentary and interviews. Strader was asked to do the play-by-play when the original play-by-play guy came down with laryngitis. As a Coyote fan, I feel honored that both of our TV personalities were present. It just goes to show that we have a class act up in the press box.

I also think that it is quite classy that we had both the American and Canadian national anthems, even though both teams were American teams. They did this last year also. I think it goes to show how much Americans and the NHL appreciate what Canada means to this sport.

Uninspired…

This entry may be very hard for me to write. I don’t think I have ever seen a worse hockey game then the one I witnessed last night. And I have been watching hockey for over 10 years. I am not sure I can come up with the words today.

Maybe I should start with the loss to St. Louis on Saturday. The good was Carcillo getting into two fights. The bad was pretty much everything else. Jovo didn’t play as badly as he has this season but he didn’t play great either. I don’t really remember much about this game, too much time has passed. Oh and Bryz looked slow. Honestly the best part of Saturday night was watching “Stepbrothers” after the game. If you haven’t seen that movie yet, I highly recommend it!

And on to last nights game…
Chicago.
They own us this year.
We have one more game to prove we can beat them.
But you can’t put Bryz in. This game was too much a reminder of his first game against Chicago as a Coyote.
Bryz. Slow. Out of position.

The first period the guys did come out strong and battling but after the first two goals went in, they gave up. I can’t say if I blame them or not. I would have given up after seeing the way Bryz was playing. After one goal, poor Z was laying on the ice and he looked so sad. Even Jovo had tried his hardest to stop the puck. Bryz was no where near the crease and he was practically facing the corner. How are you going to stop the puck from there hun?

Carcillo, Hale, Jovo and Turris all fought. It looked like Carcillo may have injured his hand a bit. He had to rinse it off in the box and then had a huge bag of ice for it. Hale wasn’t bad but wasn’t good. At least he had the courage to stand up for his team. Same goes for Turris. He tried but he’s not much of a fighter. And boy oh boy was Wayne made about that one! He even called a time out so he could yell at the ref some more. It was classic.

Ok, so have we learned a lesson yet? Bryz is not a starting goalie. He may have some skill but not enough to carry a team.

Wednesday we play Dallas. That should be a much better game for us. The boys didn’t play 100% last time and lost 3-2. If they play well, there should be no problem in beating Dallas. Avery will still be out.

Then Thursday and Saturday the boys return home to face the Wild and Redwings. I am not expecting much from these games. I just want everyone to show up and play.

I did not expect to make the playoffs. I did not expect to win every night. But I did expect that everyone would show up and play every night. That has not been the case. C’mon guys, show us fans what you can do!

Ok, I am going to go finish my lunch now. Word.

'hawks win in Shoot-Out but really, they suck

Welcome to another edition of Lunch Time with Hipchecks, as I know you all appreciate and enjoy these not perfectly edited editions of my blog (ok, they are never perfectly edited but I normally use word to help me watch for typos and what not).

Last night the 'hawks tried to invade the job with their cheap plays and dirty hits (the refs weren't much better but I digress..). The Coyotes were having none of that and both McGrattan and Carcillo tried to throw down without much luck. If you are going to act tough, then you need to step up when asked to go. I have now officially added the 'hawks to teams I dislike (joining greats such as Ducks, Red Wings and Penguins).

McGrattan tried to get something started early but the 'hawk player wasn't having none of it. McGrattan was asking and shoving and the dude just climbs onto his bench. Carcillo was later yapping at another 'hawks player and asks if he wants to go. Carcillo is about ready to drop the gloves, he is just waiting on the 'hawks player who apparently can't make up his mind so then the linesmen skates over and puts a stop to it. Those guys must have known they didn't have a chance. But if you are going to act like a dick, you better be able to back it up.

The surprises of the night was the Hanzal/Toews fight and the Jokinen/Frasher fight. Hanzal definitely won that fight. It didn't look like Toews got any punches. Jokinen's fight was more like a wrestling match with Jokinen being the one that gets the take down. Also, right as this fight started, the 'hawks wanted a goal because they thought Bryz let the puck by, but he didn't you shoved Bryz and puck into the net, then you knocked the net off.

There was a lot of diving by the 'hawks. They'd barely get hit and they'd fall to the ice like it was the end of the world. And the refs kept falling for it and whistling play dead. Yet when Jovo goes down, they ignore it and the Coyotes had control of the puck (and seemed to be waiting for the whistle). Since there was no whistle, the 'hawks are able to score.

McGrattan got a 10 minute misconduct at the end of the second. I am not sure what happened there. Someone said it was because he was yapping at the 'hawks bench, the official asked him to stop (or escorted him to the bench) and he just kept going. I am not sure if that is true, none of the articles I've read have said what it was for.

It was Shane Doan's 900th career game and he was the man with the PP goal that tied the game. Z got us on the board first when we were down 2-0. Carcillo still hasn't found his scoring touch. I have to say, I am proud of the way the Coyotes played (killing off a stupid Jovo penalty in OT was awesome) and they deserved that point (even though I still don't believe in the whole point for a loss thing).

As far as the shoot-out, we can blame those two goals on Bryz. That was all him, no defense out there to help you buddy. I want to look up his record against Chicago, because I feel like he has yet to win a game against them since coming to Phoenix. Speaking of Bryz, he started to make me really nervous in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Seriously, let's play Telly next game.

Turris and Mueller were the first two shooters. I would love to ask Gretzky who his third choice was and why he picked those two to go first. Was Doan or Jokinen going to be the clutch player? Was Turris picked to help boost his confidence? Was Mueller picked because he was the best last season (with Vrbata) but still was only at about 50%? I didn't get a good look at Turris' shot (the guy in front of me was tall, broad shouldered and had a big head and it was hard to see around him) but he is usually pretty good at lifting the puck and going top shelf, and I don't think he did that last night. Note to Gretz: work on a shoot out drill k? K.

Coming up: Friday is Coyotes at Carolina. I will only see part of it as we are heading out to the RoadRunenrs game.
Saturday we take on Philadelphia and during the broadcast the Coyotes will reveal their new 3rd jersey. Until then, enjoy the hipchecks and hockey we are all so lucky to have. :)

Disappointment. I think I best get used to it..

Ok, so the Coyotes started off amazing with two big wins and now they have had two bad losses. Wednesday night the Coyotes were in Chi-town to take on the ‘hawks. They played a strong first period, hitting hard and both teams ended the period at 0-0. Morris got into a scuffle with Adam Burish (a fellow Wisconsinite) and a linesman skated over Dmo’s hand. He left the ice and was taking to a local hospital. Thank god he was ok (he was back for the game Friday night). After that, the Coyotes seemed to fall apart. Also, our blue line was exposed. We were weak once we lost DMo. Ulf was playing musical d-pairings and nothing seemed to click. There was a lot of shoving and physical play but the coyotes just couldn’t get back in the game. I am not so sure getting Jokinen was the best move. He was great in the games we won, but not so much in the games we lost.

One of the shoving matches was right in front of the coyote’s bench. As one of Chicago’s players was shoved into bench, Carcillo took a swat at him. It was harmless, but because it was Carcillo and the Coyotes, he got a 2 game suspension. Gretz should have let the boy loose during the ducks game or this game. He was hungry for a fight and could have had lots of them during those two games. He is a fighter, you are never going to squash that in him, so let him loose, especially when the other teams are taking so many liberties with our players.

Friday night the boys played in Ottawa. We were hoping for a big bounce back but that did not happen. Our D was still a bit shaky but come on Bryz, you are the goalie. You need to stop those pucks. Why Gretz didn’t pull Bryz is beyond me. He had a bad night in Chi-town, so you give him a shot to redeem himself. Then in the first he lets 3 goals (from 13 shots) in, in a span of about 7 minutes. When Bryz came back in the second, I knew it was over. The boys were able to rally a bit in the third after a goal by Doan (what has gotten into our Captain? He is so not off to his usually slow start, I hope this doesn’t mean he tapers off at the end of the season). Lisin and Bods also got goals, but in the end it wasn’t enough. The coyotes lost 6-3.

Wow, those were some tough losses to watch. I am glad they were away games and I didn’t have to witness them in person. But they better get their act together, we have Montreal tonight, Caps Thursday and Pens the Thursday after that.

In other news, my night was not all lost. We went to the RoadRunners game and they beat the Salmon Kings (WTF kind of name is that?) 7-1. Oh that game was amazing. I didn’t know any of the players yet, but we found a few that we liked. The goalie was awesome. He is amazing, 5’9 and just wow. He was spot on! There was another player that was 5’8 and he was going after all the big boys. #61 got two goals. #17 and 51 were very physical and making space on the ice to create some good puck movement. We are planning on going back tonight and tomorrow. They looked better than the coyotes.

Also, I noticed it seemed the players were able to get away with some questionable hits. One guy totally charged another player and nothing! And they were hitting hard and getting into scrums all over the place. There was only one real fight but the atmosphere there was awesome. Even though they are part of the Sharks organizations, I am liking these hometown boys. I even bought a $5 hat so I could support the RoadRunners at their games. I guess when there is no Coyote hockey in town, I can catch some games. You can get tickets for as low as $8.

This is where i sat Thursday night

Quote of the Day:

"Weller doesn't get there, that play doesn't happen," Winnik said. "You have to have your wingers try to find an opening."

Im a little behind

Ok, first off I want to say Im a little upset with Mr. Bettman. I was listening to his radio show the other day and someone called in and asked about Chris Simon and what would cause them to ban someone from the league. He stated that he thought the punishment was fair and they cant just take away from them their lively hood and all they have ever known. Well, my problem with this is he told Toc that if he ever gambled again, hed be out of the nhl for good. Now, wouldnt that be the same thing? Isnt hockey all Toc has ever known? And Im sorry, what Simon does is way worse than what Toc did. Simon could potentially end another players career or god forbid, kill someone. And Mactavish did just that and hes allowed to coach. Heatly did too and hes still playing. Now, too me drunk driving, driving recklessly and doing things like Simon does is worse than what Toc did. Toc's gamblin didnt hurt anyone (maybe financially, but thats the other persons choice to gamble also). People who drive drunk could kill or hurt innocent people. People who drive at too fast speeds could hurt or kill innocent bystanders. Chris Simon could hurt or kill another hockey player who is just trying to do their job.

Ok, now onto the games.

I watched the outdoor game on new years day. I wanted Buffalo to win. I like Ryan Miller. I think hes a very good goalie. It was a good game to watch. It was definatly interesting and a throwback to the good ol' days (not that i remember them!) I thought all the talk between periods was very intersting also. I hope they do this every year. I would definatly watch and if my team was playing, Id go. Problem is I would freeze my ass off.

Ok, now to the Coyotes..

I watched the Colorado Avalance game on tv. I thoguht the guys put forth a good effort. Although, they are starting to get leads and then just play to prevent the other team from scoring. The problem is, they arent doing very good at that. Jovo was his normal self. Either hot or cold. Cant be any where in the middle. I dont really remember a lot of this game, its been awhile. We got two empty netters.

Last night we did the same thing agains chicago, get a good lead then just try to prevent them from scoring. Telly did a great job. He is the best backup goalie. he cant be a starter but he is great in that back up role. Sjo got a nice empty netter last night. Hanzals goal was awesome. I dont think anyone actually knew where the puck was at first. Ballard gave an awesome hipcheck which was of course retaliated by a fight. Im not sure what happened but it looked like ballard did throw a couple punches but then he was crumpled on the ice, in the fetal position almost, and wasnt moving. I was like OH CRAP. but he got up. normally ballard can hold his own, im not sure what happened last night. Again, Jovo being Jovo. Boynton had a pretty good game. Doan and Yandle were scratched. Doan has a day-to-day hand injury. Overall i thought the team did well with out their captain. They did look tired, probably from the back to back games and travel. And i was a little worried about Chicago, coming off a 9-2 loss it could have went either way. Id be pretty pissed if i lost 9-2 to the Kings. Id feel like id have something to prove. But then again, they did have a lot of injuries.

Up next: Anaheim Ducks. Neids is back. But we have done pretty well against them this year. Hopefully we can keep it up. No new news on Carcillo. Long sleeve t give away tomorrow. I might end up at the game by myself, but thats cool. I can handle one game alone!

Quote of the Day:
"It's so different in practice than playing games because you never end up in situations that happen in a game. In the last period, it (puck) went off three posts, and I had no clue where the puck was, and that never happens in practice. But we're playing well, and we deserved to win."