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A couple of surprise acquisitions, such as Ken Klee and Joakim Lindstrom, have given the Coyotes more experience and depth to get through the long grueling NHL season.
Have all things gone right? Of course not.
Ilya Bryzgalov had a rough start to the year, Peter Mueller has been snake bitten lately, and financial troubles cloud the team's future in Glendale. Ed Jovanovski, called the most overpaid player in the NHL by The Hockey News, has not been the offensive defenseman the Coyotes need him to be...not to mention the fact he has been abysmal on the defensive side as well.
But it is a new year and these players will be looking to get things going. Jovanovski has gone back to the physical game that got him his nickname "Jovocop." Kyle Turris was predicted by some to be in the running for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. I am sure he would love to get in that race. Bryzgalov has started to find his form as well.
The Coyotes schedule is a tough one. Starting with their division, quite possibly the best in the NHL, they still have a tough time ahead. The Sharks and Ducks are always tough teams. Despite a bad start, the Stars have come alive and never make it easy for opponents while the LA Kings are always looking to make an upset happen. Throw in the Red Wings, Blackhawks, Canucks, Flames, and more and you have a very tough schedule. Oh yea, the Bruins are in there too.
What do the Coyotes need to do? They can't worry about what the score is. If they want to make the playoffs, either the young players are going to have to explode offensively or the team will have to out work their opponents and be physical. I am of the belief that they will need to do the second option because as much as I would love for players like Turris, Boedker, and Lisin to explode offensively, Gretzky and the Coyotes cannot rely on that.
They need veterans like Doan, Jokinen, Reinprecht, Jovanovski, and Morris to step it up along with Peter Mueller. Role players such as Lindstrom, Klee, Fedoruk, and Winnik will not necessarily be offensive dynamos, but need to have solid two way games and create energy for the team. Mikael Tellqvist has been solid thus far and will need to continue that in his spot starts throughout the year.
Will the Coyotes make the playoffs? It is still too early to tell, but they are on the right path. This is the most promising team that the Coyotes have had in a very long time. Stanley Cup to the desert this year? Probably not, but a playoff birth is certainly not out of the question.
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