Phoenix Coyotes Hockey on AZ Vibe

Korpikoski to represent Finland at the World Championships

The Coyotes announced today that forward Lauri Korpikoski will represent Finland at the upcoming 2010 IIHF World Championships in Germany from May 7th-23rd.

Watch the 2010 World Championships via Universal Sports

Speaking of the World Championships, USA Hockey announced today that all games of the IIHF 2010 World Championships will be available on the new Universal Sports channel and on UniversalSports.com.

Now here’s the drawback. The Universal Sports Channel is not available on Cox in the Greater Phoenix Area. You can watch the games online for a fee from UniversalSports.com. Fees are $0.99 for non medal round games, $1.99 for Bronze and Gold Medal games and $14.99 for the whole tournament.

The 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s Championship takes place from May 7-23, in Cologne, Gelsenkirchen and Mannheim, Germany.

NHL Awards

The NHL Announced today that Shinedown, Snoop Dogg, Cirque du Soleil and Jersey Boys will be performing during the awards show at the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Hotel. In addition actor Mark Wahlberg will be a special guest at the NHL Awards show.

A limited amount of tickets to the NHL Awards will go on sale May 3rd via Ticketmaster.com. Click this link for direct access to the NHL Awards/Ticketmaster.com on sale page.

Second Round NHL Playoff Schedule

Even though the Coyotes have been eliminated, many of you will want to watch the rest of the playoffs unfold. Here’s the schedule for the next round along with the TV Channels they will be broadcast on.
EASTERN CONFERENCE

Date Time (ET) #4 Pittsburgh vs. #8 Montreal Network
Friday, April 30 7:00 p.m. Montreal at Pittsburgh CBC, RDS, VERSUS**
Sunday, May 2 2:00 p.m. Montreal at Pittsburgh NBC, CBC, RDS
Tuesday, May 4 7:00 p.m. Pittsburgh at Montreal CBC, RDS, VERSUS
Thursday, May 6 7:00 p.m. Pittsburgh at Montreal CBC, RDS, VERSUS**
Saturday, May 8 * 7:00 p.m. Montreal at Pittsburgh CBC, RDS, VERSUS**
Monday, May 10 * 7:00 p.m. Pittsburgh at Montreal CBC, RDS, VERSUS
Wednesday, May 12 * TBD Montreal at Pittsburgh CBC, RDS, VERSUS

Date Time (ET) #6 Boston vs. #7 Philadelphia Network
Saturday, May 1 12:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston NBC, TSN
Monday, May 3 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston TSN, VERSUS**
Wednesday, May 5 7:00 p.m. Boston at Philadelphia TSN, VERSUS**
Friday, May 7 7:00 p.m. Boston at Philadelphia TSN, VERSUS**
Monday, May 10 * 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston TSN2, VERSUS
Wednesday, May 12 * TBD Boston at Philadelphia TSN, VERSUS
Friday, May 14 * 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston TSN, VERSUS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Date Time (ET) #1 San Jose vs. #5 Detroit Network
Thursday, April 29 9:00 p.m. Detroit 3 – San Jose 4 TSN, VERSUS**
Sunday, May 2 8:00 p.m. Detroit at San Jose TSN, VERSUS**
Tuesday, May 4 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit TSN, VERSUS
Thursday, May 6 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit TSN, VERSUS
Saturday, May 8 * 10:00 p.m. Detroit at San Jose TSN, VERSUS
Monday, May 10 * 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit TSN, VERSUS
Wednesday, May 12 * TBD Detroit at San Jose TSN, VERSUS

Date Time (ET) #2 Chicago vs. #3 Vancouver Network
Saturday, May 1 8:00 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago CBC, VERSUS**
Monday, May 3 9:00 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago CBC, VERSUS
Wednesday, May 5 9:30 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver CBC, VERSUS
Friday, May 7 9:30 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver CBC, VERSUS**
Sunday, May 9 * 8:00 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago CBC, VERSUS
Tuesday, May 11 * 9:30 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver CBC, VERSUS
Thursday, May 13 * 8:00 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago CBC, VERSUS

NHL Releases first iPad App

The NHL announced that they have released it’s first app for the iPad called, NHL Ice Time – Playoffs Edition. Once it has been downloaded and installed the features of the new app include:

•    Live Scores;
•    Live in-game stats for every team and player;
•    Condensed (12-minute) versions of every NHL game;
•    Video highlights after each period played;
•    Video highlight reels at the conclusion of each game;
•    A video archive with thousands of current-season highlights
•    Live game radio of every game;
•    Ice Tracker™, which allows fans to see where action took place and then view highlights;
•    Extensive player profiles with video highlights & detailed in-game stats;
•    Game photos;
•    And archived results and stats for the current season.

By now, everyone knows that Shane Doan’s playoff and season ending injury was classified as a ‘Grade/Type 3 Shoulder Separation’. The injury was revealed after the Phoenix Coyotes were eliminated from the 2010 playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings.

Now most people don’t know what the medical terminology of Doan’s injury means or what exactly the severity of the injury was. If you note from the image below, you can see the levels of shoulder separations starting with what a normal shoulder looks like (on the left).

Had Doan re-entered the lineup in the Red Wings series, he would have 1) been a target for Red Wings players and 2) would have not been very effective at all.

I personally saw a similar situation like this in the 2003 NHL playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues met in the first round of the 2003 playoffs with the Canucks having the home ice advantage. (On a side note, Coyotes broadcaster Tyson Nash was a member of the 2003 Blues.) During Blues Defenseman Al MacInnis’s 3rd shift in game 2 of this series, Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi leveled MacInnis into the boards behind Blues goaltender Chris Osgood forcing MacInnis out of the lineup with a shoulder injury.

Now the problem with the boards at GM Place in 2003 was that they did not have any give (they have since been fixed) at all. The boards were situated literally on the cement foundation that made up the first row of seats behind the glass. As a result, the boards had zero give and would not cushion any force that would be thrown against it.

MacInnis was out for the rest of the series until a game seven was forced. He entered the lineup in game 7 and logged 21 shifts totaling 14:52 of ice time. However, he was completely and utterly useless for the entire game due to his injury managing only one shot on goal in the third period. Even his feared shot from the point was but a mere whimper due to his shoulder injury.

Doan probably could have played in game 7 but the chances are he would not have been effective like MacInnis in 2003. Had Doan had an injury in the ‘Grade 1′ area, Coyotes fans would have more than likely seen him in the lineup.

The NHL Announced today that Phoenix Coyotes Ilya Bryzgalov is not one of the Hart Trophy Finalists.  For those of you who do not know, the Hart Trophy is the NHL Most Valuable Player of the year award.

The three finalists, all scoring forwards, are Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Personally, I think having Ovechkin and Crosby as the finalists are a joke.  The Capitals have proven this season that they can still be effective without him in the lineup and Crosby has had anything but an MVP season.  Not much thought went into the actual voting process this year as the whole point what makes a player the Most Valuable Player of the year award was tossed out of the window for favoritism.

The MVP award, in theory, is supposed to be the person that the entire team can’t function without due to their presence in the lineup.  Henrik Sedin fits that bill….so do other players that weren’t nominated.

The NHL Awards will take place at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Hotel on June 23. The NHL Awards will be broadcast live in the US on Versus and in Canada on CBC.

Here’s the final list of finalists for the 2010 NHL Awards:

Thursday Morning, USA Hockey announced that they have added 11 players to their 2010 World Championships roster. The World Championships will take place from May 7th to the 23rd in Cologne, Gelsenkirchen and Mannheim, Germany. Among the additions to Team USA’s roster is Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle.

Team USA also announced that they have added Colorado Avalanche Head Coach Joe Sacco as an assistant coach on team USA. Sacco will be joining the following Coaching staff in Germany:

Team USA Head Coach – Scott Gordon – Head Coach of the New York Islanders

Team USA Assistant Coach – Todd Richards – Head Coach of the Minnesota Wild

Team USA Assistant Coach – Ron Rolston

The entire Team USA roster for the World Championships is below.

2010 United States Men’s National Team

GOALTENDERS (3)

No-Name- Ht (cm)/Wt (kg)- Birthdate- S/C -Hometown- Most Recent Team

1-Ben Bishop-6-7 (201)/210 (95)-11/21/86- L-Des Peres, Mo.-Peoria Rivermen (AHL)

30-Scott Clemmensen-6-3 (191)/205 (93)-7/23/77-L-Des Moines, Iowa-Florida Panthers (NHL)

33-David Leggio-5-11 (180)/179 (81)-7/31/84-L-Buffalo, N.Y.- TPS Turku (FNL)

DEFENSEMEN (8)

41-Taylor Chorney- 5-11 (180)/182 (83)-4/27/87-L-Hastings, Minn.-  Edmonton Oilers (NHL)

97-Matt Gilroy-6-1 (185)/201 (91)-7/20/84-R-North Bellmore, N.Y.-New York Rangers (NHL)

6-Andy Greene-5-11 (180)/190 (86)-10/30/82-L-Trenton, Mich.- New Jersey Devils (NHL)-Miami Univ. (CCHA)

2-Matt Greene-  6-3 (191)/237 (108)-5/13/83-R-Grand Ledge, Mich.- Los Angeles Kings (NHL)

38-Jack Hillen- 5-11 (180)-200 (91)-1/24/86-L-Hopkins, Minn.-New York Islanders (NHL)

3-Jack Johnson- 6-0 (183)/218 (99)-1/13/87-L-Ann Arbor, Mich.-Los Angeles Kings (NHL)

39-Mike Lundin-  6-2 (188)/197 (89)-9/24/84-L-Apple Valley, Minn.-Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

93-Keith Yandle- 6-1 (185)/195 (88)-9/9/86-L-Boston, Mass.-Phoenix Coyotes (NHL)-

FORWARDS (12)

22-Ryan Carter-  6-2 (188) /200 (91)-8/3/83-L-White Bear Lake, Minn.-Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

17-Brandon Dubinsky- 6-1 (185)/205 (93)-4/29/86-L-Anchorage, Alaska- New York Rangers (NHL)

71-Nick Foligno- 6-0 (183)/209 (95)-10/31/87-L-Buffalo, N.Y.- Ottawa Senators (NHL)

18-T.J. Galiardi-  6-2 (188) /190 (86)-4/22/88-L-Denver, Colo.-Colorado Avalanche (NHL)

20-Christian Hanson-6-3 (191)/202 (92)-3/10/86-R-Pittsburgh, Pa.- Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

13-Tim Kennedy-5-10 (178)/173 (78)-4/30/86-L-Buffalo, N.Y.- Buffalo Sabres (NHL)-Michigan State Univ.

19-Chris Kreider-6-2 (188)/205 (93)-4/30/91-L-Boxford, Mass.-Boston College (HEA)

25-David Moss-6-3 (191)/200 (91)-12/28/81-R-Livonia, Mich.-Calgary Flames (NHL)

23-Eric Nystrom- 6-1 (185)/193 (88)-2/14/83-L-Syosset, N.Y.-Calgary Flames (NHL)

21-Kyle Okposo- 6-1 (185)/ 200 (91)-4/16/88-R-St. Paul, Minn.- New York Islanders (NHL)

74-T.J. Oshie-5-11 (180)/194 (88)-12/23/86-R-Warroad, Minn.-  St. Louis Blues (NHL)

16-Ryan Potulny-6-0 (183)/190 (86)-9/5/84-L-Grand Forks, N.D.-Edmonton Oilers (NHL)

“You got to lose to know how to win” -- Aerosmith from ‘Dream On’

There’s not much to analyze here. The Phoenix Coyotes allowed the pace of the game to be dictated and they didn’t have any answer for the onslaught of the Red Wings offensive and defensive mastery in game seven.

In the very least, the Phoenix Coyotes can take the experiences from Game 7 and the series for next season as they had a hell of a 2009-2010 season.

Game Highlights:

Game Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/GS030187.HTM

Event Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/ES030187.HTM

Play by Play:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/PL030187.HTM

Face Off stats:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/FC030187.HTM

Shootout Stats:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/SO030187.HTM

Post game comments from Phoenix Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett (Courtesy PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Coyotes Captain Shane Doan (Courtesy PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Derek Morris (Courtesy PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Vernon Fiddler (Courtesy PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Lee Stempniak (Courtesy PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post Game Presser from Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock:

Post game comments from Red Wings Captain Nicklas Lidstrom:

Post game comments from Pavel Datsyuk:

Goaltender Jimmy Howard:

The NHL Announced today that Phoenix Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett has been named one of the finalists for the Jack Adams Trophy. Some Coyotes fans may or may not know that being selected as a Jack Adams Trophy Finalist is not only a tremendous honor but a recognition of what an amazing season the Coyotes have had.

The other finalists for the Jack Adams Trophy are first year head coach Joe Sacco from the Colorado Avalanche and Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators.

The NHL Awards will take place at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Hotel on June 23. The NHL Awards will be broadcast live in the US on Versus and in Canada on CBC.

If there was a surprising Jack Adams finalist nomination it would have to be Barry Trotz. I’m not saying that he wasn’t deserving, he more than deserves the recognition for the season the Nashville Predators have had. It’s that many of the other North American Hockey pundits were stating that an Eastern Conference coach would have been nominated as a finalist. Trotz did an amazing job with a Nashville Team that many (including myself) did not think they could be competitive this season. As the season wore on, the Predators showed that they could go toe to toe with any team in the league and beat them on any given night.

All Western Conference Jack Adams finalists. That has a nice ring to it.

Here’s the rest of the previously announced finalists for the 2010 NHL Awards:

Phoenix Coyotes vs Detroit Red Wings Game 7 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Western Conference Quarter Finals Series is tied 3 – 3 Jobing.com Arena – Glendale, AZ Puck Drops at 6:00 PM AZ Time TV: FSN-AZ (AZ Only) Versus (US outside of AZ) – TSN/RDS (Canada)Radio:XTRA 910

“…they got lucky…” – Detroit Red Wings Goaltender Jimmy Howard describing the Phoenix Coyotes victory in game 6

Really?

Not much else to be said here. This game tonight and ultimately the series is entirely the Phoenix Coyotes to dictate.

The Keys to the game below outline what needs to be done to give the Coyotes the best chance at success in Game 7.

In short, the Coyotes need to come out with their most disciplined game to date tonight, Bryz has to play his best game ever, and the secondary scoring has to come up big once again.

It’s time to take this series!

Cheat Sheet:

- According to John Gambadoro of 620 KTAR, Coyotes Captain Shane Doan is out for game 7. Expect the Coyotes to roll with 7 defensemen once again if this story holds up to be true. Head Coach Dave Tippett has said that Doan is a ‘Game time decision’.

- No lineup changes are expected for the Detroit Red Wings in game 7

- Ilya Bryzgalov expected to start for the Coyotes in Game 7 and Jimmy Howard is expected to start in net for the Red Wings.

- Tonight’s Coyotes Game 7 viewing party is at the Native New Yorker in the Westgate City Center in Glendale, AZ

- Pre-game presser with Head Coach Dave Tippett (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Pre-game presser with Coyotes defenseman Adrian Aucoin (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Things to watch for:

Stupid Penalties – The Coyotes still haven’t fully stopped taking dumb penalties. Watch to see if they do in game 7.

Coyotes defensive discipline – The Coyotes HAVE to play the best defensive game of the season in Game 7 to be able have the best opportunity to win.

Keys to the game (some of these are the same as game 6 as they still apply for game 7):

Coyotes Role players HAVE to step up in the scoring department – I found this quote from 2009 when a reporter from the AP talked with Former Coyotes Coach Wayne Gretzky about what Pittsburgh needed to win the Stanley Cup last year “In order for Pittsburgh to have success in this series, they’re going to need their role players to step up and contribute in a way that’s going to be a positive factor.” This applies to the Coyotes as well. Key scorers have been shutout as the Red Wings know that the secondary scoring (READ: 3rd and 4th lines) are not coming up with goals in this series. Now is their time to step up. They have to come up big today.

Faceoffs – The Coyotes are most successful when they win key faceoffs and gain possession of the puck. This is another aspect of the series that the Wings have taken advantage of at times. The Coyotes MUST win key faceoffs tonight especially on the Power Play if they are going to be successful tonight.

Bryz has to be the best player on the ice – In this series Bryz has been one of the best players on the ice. However, he needs to have the best game in his career to be able to give the Coyotes the best chance of moving on. His challenge tonight is to steal this game from the Red Wings.

Stop allowing the Detroit Crease Campers (Bertuzzi/Holmstrom/etc) to get possession of the puck in front of Bryzgalov – They have done too much damage in the series. The Coyotes need to stop the Red Wings from gaining control of the puck in the crease area as they have been wreaking havoc in the scoring department. The Red Wings have done a pretty good job this series stopping the Coyotes from getting secondary chances on Jimmy Howard. Why can’t the Coyotes do the same thing on the other end of the ice?

Shoot. The. Puck. – The Way to beat Jimmy Howard is not only to get perimeter shots on the Red Wings goaltender but to also pepper him with shots on secondary scoring chances up close. The Red Wings dominated the previous games in the shot department. Howard is weakest when he commits to shots and the Coyotes HAVE to take advantage of that. The Coyotes failed immensely in the shot department in game 4. As a result, they suffered immensely in the game 4 final score.

Find safety valves when the Red Wings pressure the puck carrier – One challenge that the Coyotes have had this series is working through situations where the Red Wings pressure the puck carrier in all three zones on the ice. The Coyotes need to be aware of this and adapt to it. Find the open man.

How bad do the Coyotes want it? – There’s only one game left. The Coyotes playoff destiny is entirely in their hands. They have the tools and ability to win this game and the series. The question is….how bad do the Coyotes want it and are they willing to do what it takes to win?

Officials:

Referees: #11 Kelly Sutherland; #33 Kevin Pollock
Linesmen: #57 Jay Sharrers; #86 Brad Lazarowich

Injuries/Scratches (will be updated as information is made known):

Coyotes: Kurt Sauer(IR), Scottie Upshall(IR), Jim Vandermeer (Scratch), Shane Doan(Game time decision), Petteri Nokelainen (Scratch), Viktor Tikhonov (Scratch), Paul Bissonnette (Scratch), The San Antonio 8 (Scratch),

Red Wings: Kurt Maltby, Jason Williams, Daniel Larsson, Doug Janik, Brad May, Mattias Ritola, Jakub Kindl, Derek Meetch, Brett Lebda

First off if you haven’t heard by now, The Coyotes and the NHL announced the game time for game 7. The Puck will drop at 6:00 PM and will be shown on FSN-AZ in Arizona, Versus in the US (outside of Arizona), TSN/RDS (in Canada). Pre-game show on FSN AZ starts at 5:30 PM.

Dave Tippett addresses the following practice Monday:

Downloadable MP3 version of the Press Conference from Todd Walsh at FSN Arizona:

http://filesocial.com/2zstb9s

Shane Doan addresses the media following practice on Monday:

Downloadable MP3 version of the Press Conference from Todd Walsh at FSN Arizona:

http://filesocial.com/2zvnle5

We stated in our pre-game article that one of the keys to victory was for the secondary scoring to step up big time as they would be the key to victory. Well, they did that…..and then some. Just 4:10 into the game Lauri Korpikoski started off the scoring with a game changing short handed goal. From that point on the Red Wings were on their heels and struggling to keep up for the rest of the game.

Add to the mix the Coyotes playing solid defense that was one of their best disciplined performances of the season and you have two of the main keys to victory.

There’s really not much else to tell or analyze here.

Fans saw the Coyotes team that they had been familiar with for the majority of the regular season come out in force for game 6. The Coyotes not only made a statement during the game but also on national TV. The Coyotes performance opened the eyes of a TON of east coast based media that had overwhelmingly picked the Red Wings to dispatch the Coyotes in 6 games or less.

Don’t eat that crow just yet east coast hockey media, I have a feeling that the Coyotes aren’t done yet with the statement making.

Game Highlights:

Game Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/GS030186.HTM

Event Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/ES030186.HTM

Play by Play:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/PL030186.HTM

Face Off:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/FC030186.HTM

Shootout Stats:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/SO030186.HTM

Post game comments from Coyotes Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (via Todd Walsh of FSN AZ):

http://filesocial.com/2sjccv7

Post game comments from Jovocop (via Todd Walsh of FSN AZ):

http://filesocial.com/2sjnwvs

Post game comments from Coyotes defenseman Mathieu Schneider (via Todd Walsh of FSN AZ):

http://filesocial.com/2sk6uj2

Post game comments from Coyotes forward Lauri Korpikoski (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Coyotes defenseman Mathieu Schneider (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Red Wings Captain Nicklas Lidstrom (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post Game comments from Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments for Red Wings Goaltender Jimmy Howard (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Phoenix Coyotes vs Detroit Red Wings Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Western Conference Quarter Finals Red Wings lead the series 3 – 2 Joe Lewis Arena – Detroit, MI Puck Drops at 11:00 AM AZ Time TV: NBC(US) – TSN/RDS (Canada)Radio:XTRA 910

The Phoenix Coyotes find themselves in a new situation this season….facing elimination at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings in Game 6 later this morning (11 AM on NBC/TSN/RDS). Up to this point in the series, the Coyotes have had the skills and work ethic to win games. However, the Detroit Red Wings playoff experience has been the deciding factor in this series. The playoff inexperienced Coyotes have not played a sound mental game for some time now and will need one to pull out a victory here today.

The good thing is that this series is not overwith as of yet and the Coyotes have the opportunity to force a game seven back at the Jobing.com arena. Furthermore, they have been doing many things right on the ice that can be leveraged for game 6 (like faceoffs, penalty killing, etc).

The Red Wings will be more than prepared to not only play the game of their life later this morning, but will be prepared to face what the Coyotes will be throwing their way….which is the Hockey version of ‘everything including the kitchen sink’.

So what are the Phoenix Coyotes going to need to do to win this game and possibly the series?

Former Phoenix Coyotes Head Coach Wayne Gretzky gives insight as to what it takes to win a Stanley Cup from his experience of winning it all 1982…this definitely applies to game 6 for the Phoenix Coyotes (taken from an AP interview in 2009):

“After losing that first final (against the New York Islanders), walking by their locker room, the one thought we had as players was: it was going to be a dreadful sight going by their locker room and watching them celebrate and having a tremendous time,” Gretzky said. “As we found out … it was pretty quiet in there.

“We sort of walked out healthy and they were beat up. We realized then and there that it takes a lot more than just wanting to win. You were going to have to earn it, and it was going to take a lot to win a Stanley Cup and be a champion. That’s what we learned from the Islanders.”

The thing is the Red Wings are well versed in this aspect of the playoffs. The Coyotes are just learning it.

As I’ve said before, the Coyotes have the skills and talent to win beat the Red Wings in this series. The question is do the Coyotes want it bad enough and are they willing to make the necessary sacrifices to win? This includes checking, blocking shots, being mentally aware of their opponents locations on the ice, and so on.

It’s do or die time.

Bring it back for 7!

Cheat Sheet:

- No lineup changes are expected for the Detroit Red Wings in game 6

- Ilya Bryzgalov expected to start for the Coyotes in Game 6 and Jimmy Howard is expected to start in net for the Red Wings.

- Coyotes defenseman Kurt Sauer will appear at the game 6 viewing party at Padre Murphy’s located at 4338 W. Bell Road in Glendale. Sauer will sign autographs for fans on hand. There will also be a second viewing party at Blue 32 Sports Grill located at 1524 East Williamsfield in Gilbert.

- Defenseman Mathieu Schneider is expected to play in game 6

- Coyotes Captain Shane Doan will be re-evaluated by the training staff this morning. I’m expecting him to play in this elimination game. What actually happens, may be something entirely different.

Comments from Phoenix Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett on Saturday Afternoon (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Comments from Coyotes Defenseman Ed Jovanovski from Saturday Afternoon (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Things to watch for:

Stupid Penalties – We get to see if the Coyotes Team Chaplin fully exorcised the Stupid Penalty Demons that existed during game 5.

Coyotes defensive discipline – The Coyotes HAVE to play the best defensive game of the season to be able have the best opportunity to win.

Keys to the game (some of these are the same as game 5 as they still apply for game 6):

Coyotes Role players HAVE to step up in the scoring department – I found this quote from 2009 when a reporter from the AP talked with Former Coyotes Coach Wayne Gretzky about what Pittsburgh needed to win the Stanley Cup last year “In order for Pittsburgh to have success in this series, they’re going to need their role players to step up and contribute in a way that’s going to be a positive factor.” This applies to the Coyotes as well. Key scorers have been shutout as the Red Wings know that the secondary scoring (READ: 3rd and 4th lines) are not coming up with goals in this series. Now is their time to step up. They have to come up big today.

Faceoffs – The Coyotes are most successful when they win key faceoffs and gain possession of the puck. This is another aspect of the series that the Wings have taken advantage of at times. The Coyotes MUST win key faceoffs tonight especially on the Power Play if they are going to be successful tonight.

Bryz has to be the best player on the ice – In this series Bryz has been one of the best players on the ice. However, he needs to have the best game in his career to be able to give the Coyotes the best chance of moving on.

Stop allowing the Detroit Crease Campers (Bertuzzi/Holmstrom/etc) to get possession of the puck in front of Bryzgalov – They have done too much damage in the series. The Coyotes need to stop the Red Wings from gaining control of the puck in the crease area as they have been wreaking havoc in the scoring department. The Red Wings have done a pretty good job this series stopping the Coyotes from getting secondary chances on Jimmy Howard. Why can’t the Coyotes do the same thing on the other end of the ice?

Shoot. The. Puck. – The Way to beat Jimmy Howard is not only to get perimeter shots on the Red Wings goaltender but to also pepper him with shots on secondary scoring chances up close. The Red Wings dominated the previous games in the shot department. Howard is weakest when he commits to shots and the Coyotes HAVE to take advantage of that. The Coyotes failed immensely in the shot department in game 4. As a result, they suffered immensely in the game 4 final score.

Find safety valves when the Red Wings pressure the puck carrier – One challenge that the Coyotes have had this series is working through situations where the Red Wings pressure the puck carrier in all three zones on the ice. The Coyotes need to be aware of this and adapt to it. Find the open man.

How bad do the Coyotes want it? – This is a best of two series now. The Coyotes playoff destiny is now entirely in their hands. They have the tools and ability to win this series. The question is….how bad do the Coyotes want it and are they willing to do what it takes to win?

Officials:

Referee – #20 Tim Peel – #9 Dan O’Rourke – (Standby) #43 Brian Pochmara
Linesmen – #93 Brian Murphy #80 Thor Nelson – (Standby) #50 Scott Cherrey

Injuries/Scratches (will be updated as information is made known):

Coyotes: Kurt Sauer(IR), Scottie Upshall(IR), Jim Vandermeer (Scratch), Shane Doan(Game time decision), Petteri Nokelainen (Scratch), Viktor Tikhonov (Scratch), Paul Bissonnette (Scratch), The San Antonio 8 (Scratch),
Red Wings: Kurt Maltby, Jason Williams, Daniel Larsson, Doug Janik, Brad May, Mattias Ritola, Jakub Kindl, Derek Meetch, Brett Lebda