Rangers-Coyotes: Hunting Desert Dogs

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

With all the controversy and turmoil that transpired in Phoenix this past summer, the Coyotes' 6-3-0 start has been surprising, to say the least.

Their success is mostly due to the outstanding play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. In eight games this season, he has posted a 6-2 record, two shutouts, a 1.60 GAA, and a .933 save percentage, good for first overall among goalies with at least two starts.

On the other side of this matchup, the Rangers' acquisition of Marion Gaborik, the re-emergence of Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal, and the emergence of young point-man Michael Del-Zotto has catapulted this team into talks of top teams in the East.

Mind you, that talk may have calmed after the Blueshirts' breakdown against the Habs this past Saturday night.

Now, let’s not get confused here. True, the Coyotes have come out on fire. But they have scored only 23 goals, ranking them 23rd in league scoring. They are going to be playing a team that has scored almost twice as many goals, with 41. That places the Rangers neatly in third, behind the Flames and Sharks, in overall league scoring.

After three tough losses, I believe head coach John Tortorella has been pushing defensive-zone coverage in his practices. Anyone who knows Torts' personality will tell you he can be a drill sergeant when things start going south for his club.

Phoenix will be out-gunned today. And I expect them to come back down to Earth soon. The fans of the Coyotes will slowly and sadly disperse. Unfortunate for a team who has played with a lot of heart in the early going of this 2009/10 NHL season.

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