Phoenix Coyotes Hockey on AZ Vibe

….Swiss Cheese defense as in a defense that is full of holes.

That’s what summed up the Toronto Maple Leafs pummeling by the Phoenix Coyotes Wednesday night. To say this Toronto team was bad, is an understatement. From the opening puck drop the Coyotes established and then dictated the flow and pace of the game. The only times they let up this pace is when two of the three Leafs goals were scored (the Second Leafs goal looked like a Coyotes defenseman was slew footed by a leafs forward…more below in the game notes section).

Even with all this lack of defense the lone bright spot would probably (or probably not) be their Faceoff stats by winning 50% of the draws from the suddenly faceoff struggling Coyotes.

This game was over with in the second period when the Leafs came apart at the seams across the board and the Coyotes turned up the heat in their offensive zone.

However, the one main goal that the Coyotes were able to attain in Toronto, other than the win, was that they made a HELL of a statement on Canadian National Television. The Coyotes didn’t play a perfect game in Toronto. Then again they didn’t play a bad one either. They got goals from different players especially Paul Bissonette who scored a goal with his father watching his son’s first ever NHL game live.

Oh, if you don’t know what YYZ is outside the Rush song reference, Google it.

Notes from the game:

Problems with Toronto is not Toskala. He seems to be the whipping boy for the Leafs media and their fans but its clear to me after watching the Leafs numerous time this season that the problem is with the players who seem to be completely and utterly capable of playing anything that resembles defense in their defensive zone for more than 10 seconds at a time.

Bissonnette looked REALLY happy to play in front of his dad.

The Coyotes came out strong in the first and dictated play like the Red Wings did against the Coyotes (and like the way the Coyotes should have come out and played against the Red Wings).

Toronto can’t handle speed. They have too many plugs and just plain lazy player to be able to compete at the levels that the Coyotes and Sabres are playing.

When you put up one of the best PP’s in the league in Toronto against one of the better Defenses in the league in the Coyotes…..the Coyotes will win every time.

My assessment of the first Leafs goal they allowed is that the Leafs defense were inept and they simply don’t have the talent to be a good defensive team this season. Not only that but the Leafs don’t have the talent to match up with Coyotes speed.

First Toronto goal scored – Coyotes got lazy and got owned. Not only was it a bad time for a change but they were not playing well leading up to that change. They got extremely lazy. That seemed to wake the team up after that goal.

The Coyotes, or anyone in the NHL for that matter, can’t expect to get a shutout with the offensive talent that the Leafs have….offensive talent not defensive.

To call Toronto the ‘short yellow school bus’ in their defensive zone against the Coyotes would be an understatement. It’s too bad fans are going to have to put up with less than quality defensemen for another few years thanks to former GM John Ferguson Jr.

Jeff Finger/Jason Blake were LAZY in their defensive zone. To say they were horrible is an understatement. What gets me was listening to their post game comments on the Leafs website and both of them not taking responsibility (or even realizing) for their poor play. But then again, what do you expect from pro athletes in post game interviews other than a canned response….especially in Canada.

Is it time to put Bissonnette on goal deflection duty in front of the net? He’s got the hand/eye coordination for it. He just needs some practice.

I can’t even imagine what it’s like to have your dad watch you (Bissonette) score a goal while he’s watching

Second Toronto goal – Man Hanzal (neutral zone) and Michalek blew their coverage big time giving the Leafs practically a gift wrapped goal. However, when I took a second look at the goal in slow motion, it looked like Ponikarovsky slew footed Michalek in front of the net allowing the goal to be scored.

Things to work on:

Faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs, faceoffs.

Game highlights:

Game Summary

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/GS020497.HTM

Event Summary

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/ES020497.HTM

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/PL020497.HTM

Face off stats

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/FC020497.HTM

Dave Tippett’s Post game presser:

http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/pages/video/?PID=ZAhcgSGx_LJd95PQqHAKASxowrPdaVsw

Bissonette Post game comments

Leafs post game comments – Ron Wilson

Leafs post game comments – Jamal Mayers

Leafs post game comments – Lee Stempniak

Leafs post game comments – Jeff Finger

Leafs post game comments – Jason Blake

Globe and Mail – Coyotes double up on the leafs

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/coyotes-double-up-on-leafs/article1403321/