I stepped away from the Computer today to get out and about in this beautiful weather but spent some of the time debating how I’m going to handle this article. At times when covering the Coyotes this season with the investment of time one can sometimes lose objectivity allowing the reporter to disappear and the emotional, boisterous hockey fan to appear. This is what happened in Game 5 over the course of the final 30 minutes of the game and had I posted what I was thinking after the game, it wouldn’t have been pretty.

I can sit down here and break down just about every aspect of the game along with what the Coyotes did wrong down to some pretty minute details (as many of you have seen over the course of a season). However, the more I sat back thinking about the game and going over post game comments from both teams, one theme kept coming up again and again that was the reason why the score ended up being 4-1 for the other team.

Mental errors.

It was mental errors that:

- Caused Vernon Fiddler to take not one but two stupid penalties in the first period
- That allowed the Red Wings to take advantage of lapses in the Coyotes defense for all three goals.
- Put the Coyotes in the Penalty Box six times totaling 12 minutes of ice time

The Coyotes are at a point in the series where mental errors like this are unacceptable. The Coyotes cannot afford any more games like this as the Red Wings are the type of team who are patient, methodical and calculating when it comes to finding times to strike offensively. They are extremely experienced in this manner. The Coyotes, as you know are but babes in the woods when it comes to team playoff experience like this.

As an example of this point, I want to show you Coyotes fans what Red Wings Captain Nicklas Lidstrom had to say following game 5:

“…sacrificing ourselves to get the win.”

THIS, was the difference in game 5 and is the difference in the series.

Going into game 6, the Coyotes are going to have to push themselves to the limits not only physically but mentally as well. Anything less? Well, I’d rather not have that enter the realm of possibilities.

Game 6 is Sunday at 11 AM on NBC.

Game Highlights:

Event Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/ES030185.HTM

Game Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/GS030185.HTM

Faceoff Comparison:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/FC030185.HTM

Play by Play:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/PL030185.HTM

Shootout Stats:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/SO030185.HTM

Post Game presser with Head Coach Dave Tippett (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Coyotes players (Courtesy of PhoenixCoyotes.com):

Post game comments from Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock:

Zetterberg

Jimmy Howard: