Phoenix Coyotes: Top 10 Games of the Season

With Christmas just a week away, the Phoenix Coyotes have been fortunate in receiving a lot of their presents early.

For starters, the Coyotes will not be moving away from the desert.

After a heated battle this summer about the future of the Coyotes' organization, the ruling favored keeping the Coyotes in the desert.

After finding out that the Coyotes were staying in Phoenix, the presents began to fall from the cacti.

Perhaps the biggest present for the Coyotes came on Sept. 24, when the Coyotes named Dave Tippett as their new head coach after Wayne Gretzky stepped down.

Since the addition of Tippett, the Coyotes have become the talk of the NHL.

Tippett has led a bankrupt organization into contenders in the Western Conference. Tippett could be awarded the Jack Adams Award (award given to a coach who has contributed the most to the team’s success) as a belated Christmas present.

Here at Bleacher Report, we look back at the top 10 Coyotes games of the season.

No. 10: Dec. 14, Detroit Red Wings vs. Phoenix Coyotes, 3-2

The Coyotes are 5-11-1 this season in games where the opponent scores first.

While the Coyotes might not walked away from this one with a win, the Coyotes played an exciting game, including coming back from a 2-0 deficit.

The Coyotes have been criticized this season for their lack of scoring.

Therefore, tying the game in the second period was a stepping stone for the Coyotes.

However, Derek Meech of the Red Wings put this game away in the second period.

Despite Detroit playing without six of their regulars due to injury, the Red Wings showed heart as the Coyotes displayed another weakness: winning on the road.

Ilya Bryzgalov played in his 14th straight game for the Coyotes, as many questioned why backup goalie Jason LaBarbera didn’t start in place of Bryzgalov.

Bryzgalov would appear in one more game before LaBarbera took over in net.

No. 9: Nov. 14, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Dallas Stars, 3-2

How does a team fire a coach who led their team to playoffs five out of six seasons?

When Dave Tippett was announced as head coach back in September, there was one game that was circled on his calendar: Nov. 14.

After being let go from the Stars back in June, Tippett wondered when he would be able to coach against his former team, and, on Nov. 14, he got his wish.

While the Coyotes might have slumped in November, Tippett couldn’t have been any more pleased with his squad, who defeated the Stars twice in November.

The Coyotes have relied on starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov this season, and, against the Stars, the Coyotes' goaltender made 26 saves, as the Coyotes defeated the Stars 3-2.

This game was noteworthy since Shane Doan was awarded a penalty shot against the Stars, which was the first penalty shot this season and the first since Feb. 10, 2008.

While Doan is 0-for-4 in his career in penalty shots, the Coyotes rallied with goals from Robert Lang, David Schlemko, and Radim Vrbata.

Schlemko’s goal against the Stars was his first and only goal of the season.

No. 8, Dec. 3: Phoenix Coyotes vs. Calgary Flames, 2-1

Heading into December, the Coyotes were 0-2 playing against Canadian teams.

The Coyotes hosted the Calgary Flames on Dec. 3, after the Flames beat them 2-1 a week before.

The Coyotes came back from a 1-0 deficit, as Petr Prucha and Taylor Pyatt helped the Coyotes beat the Flames 2-1.

Prucha’s goal in the second period ended an 18-game goal-scoring drought.

Pyatt's score put the game away in the third period, as the Coyotes opened up the month of December with a victory.

The Coyotes are 2-for-3 in winning the first game of the month.

Since beating the Flames back on Dec. 3, the Coyotes have not lost to a Canadian team since Nov. 25.

No. 7: Oct. 29, Phoenix Coyotes vs. St. Louis Blues, 2-0

The Coyotes were 9-4 in the month of October.

Ilya Bryzgalov posted three shutouts in the month of October, tying the amount of shutouts he had last season.

However, heading into the game against the Blues, Bryzgalov played his worst game of the season against the New York Rangers, where he was pulled during the second period after giving up four straight goals.

How did Bryzgalov respond after sitting out the next game?

He stopped 32 shots, posting his third shutout of the month.

Meanwhile, Coyotes' head coach Dave Tippett sent a message to his team by scratching Scottie Upshall, who had six penalty minutes the night before during a 4-1 victory against Columbus.

Tippett told the team that bad penalties can cost them, and benching Upshall sent a huge message to the Coyotes.

Upshall is one of the best players for the Coyotes, and Tippett demonstrated that anybody can benched if he make careless mistakes like Upshall committed the night before.

No. 6: Nov. 5, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 3-1

How do you get noticed in the NHL?

You defeat the best team in the NHL, and that’s what the Coyotes did back on Nov. 5.

Peter Mueller, who has been rather disappointing for the Coyotes this season, scored his first and only goal of the season against the Blackhawks.

Meanwhile Ilya Bryzgalov demonstrated why he is in the running for the Vezina Trophy, stopping 31-of-32 shots against Chicago.

While Bryzgalov was busy in the net, the Coyotes were busy killing all six of Chicago’s power plays.

Chicago had several chances to score, including two breakaway shots within 20 seconds of one another, but Bryzgalov demonstrated why he is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL this season.

With this win against Chicago, the Coyotes snapped a two-game losing streak, as well as a six-game losing streak against the Blackhawks.

No. 5: Oct. 12, Phoenix Coyotes vs. San Jose Sharks, 1-0

This game was scoreless heading into a shootout, where Peter Mueller and Lauri Korpikoski clinched this game and Ilya Bryzgalov earned his second shutout in the last five days.

This game was an important game for the Coyotes, as Dave Tippett knew that Bryzgalov was for real this year.

When you can shut out one of the top-scoring teams in the NHL, then you know you have somebody special in net.

This game was also noteworthy, as Coyotes' enforcer Paul Bissonnette got in his first fight as a member of the Coyotes after fighting San Jose’s Jody Shelley.

Bissonnette was claimed on waivers from the Coyotes on Oct. 1, after failing to make the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster.

Bissonnette has become a fan favorite in Phoenix as he leads the team in fights.

No. 4: Dec. 17, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-1

An important piece of Phoenix Coyotes' history was made when Coyotes captain Shane Doan played in his 1,000th game.

Doan has spent his entire 14-year career with the team that drafted him with the seventh-overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.

Doan joined a list of 24 players who have played 1,000 games for the same team that drafted them.

Doan played an important role in the victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets, tying the shootout at 1-1 after two rounds.

Robert Lang would seal the victory for the Coyotes after scoring in the third round.

Ilya Bryzgalov, after playing in 15-straight games, was given the night off after backup goalie Jason LaBarbera played his best game of the season while winning his second game.

Meanwhile, Coyotes' enforcer Paul Bissonnette fought in his 11th fight of the season.

No. 3: Oct. 3, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Los Angeles Kings, 6-3

You can tell a lot about a team by watching their first game, and what a game it was for the Phoenix Coyotes.

With Dave Tippett just eight days on the job after replacing former Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky and seven new Coyotes in the lineup, the Coyotes outplayed division rival Los Angeles Kings on opening night.

The Coyotes made a statement to the NHL on opening night after being left for dead this past summer amid filing for bankruptcy and the uncertainty of where they would play in the regular season.

Despite all the offseason distractions, the Coyotes played one of their best games of the season defeating an improved L.A. Kings team, 6-3.

The Coyotes howled over Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, scoring three-straight goals against him.

Meanwhile, Coyotes' goalie Bryzgalov stopped 30-of-33 shots, posting his first victory of the season.

Opening night was a success for the Coyotes, as 11 skaters registered for at least one point.

The Coyotes demonstrated that everything that happened in the offseason was the past.

The Coyotes are focusing on the present and the future, and the future looks good for the Phoenix Coyotes.

No. 2: Oct. 7, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-0

The Phoenix Coyotes were the first team this season to defeat both the defending Stanley Cup champion, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings.

When you can shut out last season’s Stanley Cup champions in a sold-out Mellon Arena, you know your team is all right.

Ilya Bryzgalov earned his most credible shutout of the season by making 24 saves as the Coyotes skated past the defending Stanley Cup champions, 3-0.

Coyotes' captain Shane Doan earned another piece of Coyotes' history when he assisted on Ed Jovanovski’s goal.

With Doan’s assist, he moved past Keith Tkachuk into third place on the franchise’s all-time points list.

In shutting out the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Coyotes also became the first team this season to defeat them, as well.

No. 1: Oct. 31, Phoenix Coyotes vs. Anaheim Ducks, 3-2.

While this can be argued, it is in my opinion that there hasn't a better game for the Coyotes this season than the one they played against Anaheim on Halloween night.

Despite low attendance, the fans were in for a special treat, as the Coyotes and Anaheim played in a ruthless game.

In a game that resulted in over 58 penalty minutes after plenty of pushing and shoving——including three fights——the Coyotes skated away with several bruises, but most importantly a victory.

Bryzgalov earned his eighth victory in October after saving 32 shots.

The Coyotes tied a franchise record with nine wins in the month of October. The last time the Coyotes won nine games in a month happened in 2000, when the Coyotes won nine games in October.

Perhaps the Coyotes created a new version of Octoberfest, but no one has forgotten the slugfest that the Coyotes and Ducks endured on Halloween night.