IT CAME FROM OUT OF THE ICE : COYOTES (3) VS BLUES (2) OT 11/12/19

IT CAME FROM OUT OF THE ICE : COYOTES (3) VS BLUES (2) OT 11/12/19

CAPSULE : I don't think Garland is a defensive liability, however in the ice time he did have last night, he only got 1 shot on net. That means in his last 25:15 on the ice, he's only gotten 2 shots on net (his last 2 games). Not sure if teams are picking up on how dangerous he is, but if you are Tocchet you have to get more production and chances than that. If I am Tocchet, I take that risk but there is more to it than just that. The Blues are on a tour of just destroying everyone right now and the Coyotes will be going up against a goalie (Binnington) that is 7-1-0 this year allowing 2.39 goals a game. Bloody hell. Not going to mention  Kuemper's numbers because the last time I did that, he gave up 4 goals. St. Louis comes into the game with the league’s second best record at 12-3-3 and have 7 wins in a row. The Coyotes are coming into this one at 10-6-2.

GARLAND (83) - Is the 14th most dangerous player in the Pacific Division with 8 goals. So you know don't take him on in a dark alley, he will score a freakin goal on you. What are you going to do about that? Nothing…you are going to sit there and just look confused. Kind of how Binnington looked confused when Garland scored on him in the 3^rd period tonight and in the Shootout for the game winner.

SCHMALTZ (8) - Leads the Coyotes in assists with 11 on the season.  Tonight he had an inordinate amount of sloppy passes to either nowhere or the other team.

NESS (42) - Is one of only 2 Coyotes that hasn't committed a penalty all season. Grabner is the other one. I would count Hjalmarsson but he's only played 4 games. He was off tonight though, so he just kinda snuck onto this post. 

LOCK THE DVORAK (18) - Is the team’s best face-off guy with a 62.6 face-off win percentage. Kessel is actually the freakin worst at 25.0%, at least so far. Tonight he registered an assist and a block.

UMMM - This is pretty rad... https://www.nhl.com/coyotes/tickets/yotes-pass

3:30 AM – Around the time the Coyotes got into their hotel last night. Someone put on a pot of coffee. No, you gotta throw some creamer in there, no one likes straight up coffee.

FISCHER (36) – “It may suck but..” – Concerning the back to back and crazy delay getting into the hotel last night.

LYUBUSHKIN (46) – Took a pretty bad penalty in the 1^st. Bad having the idea of being totally un-necessary. Fortunately the high-powered Blues were not able to capitalize on their PP. Overall it wasn’t a terrible night for him but not great either. One play in the 3^rd in particular he joined the rush on offense but the play he made lead to a Blues 3 on 2 breakaway and almost lead to a goal against.

KELLER SHOT (9) – Had the Coyotes first 2 shots of the game for the Coyotes. Then in the 2^nd period he took a bad pass from the Blues Perron and put the puck past the Blues goaltender to tie the game up at 1-1 at the time. Overall Keller had a pretty great game tonight. He's definitely not afraid of the spotlight. 

AUTO NATION – Says they are going to buy my car…is that like a ZIA’s type situation where they buy for $1.00 and sell it for 10 times that?

AN ICEBERG MADE OF SODA IS A SODERBERG (34) – Had a pretty solid competition going with Schmaltz to see who could make the most bad passes in a single game.

HINOSTROZA (13) –  The Coyotes first goal of the game was another situation where Hinostroza’s hustle pretty much set up the goal by Keller. If he had not raced down to get the puck, it would have been icing. He had another great opportunity in OT as the last second ticked off the clock.

TRIPPING OVER A CROUSE (67) – Late in the 2^nd period just fell down on defense. I guess ice is pretty slippery. In the 3^rd he had a great breakaway and an opportunity for a shorty but it was stopped just in time.

THAT’S THE POT CALLING THE KESSEL BLACK (81) –  Over-passed on the Coyotes PP in the 3^rd, that probably would have been scored by Schmaltz but just missed. He did look to be engaged in the 3^rd period in this one which was good to see.

RICHARDSON (15) – Had 3 blocks on the night, but wasn’t around the puck much outside of that. All this lack of activity offensively probably means he due for a hat-trick soon.

GRABNER (40) – Had just 1 shot on goal, but we’ll take it. The guy can’t be leaving other teams players in the dust every night.

CHYCHRUN (6) – Bad positioning on his part pretty much left Schwartz of the Blues a wide open net after Kuemper was screened on the Blues first goal. He looked frustrated on the play. Later he a delay of game penalty in the 2^nd, so it was just a rough start for him tonight. On top of all that he ended up taking an awkward charge into the Coyotes net and left the ice. Rough night is an under-statement. He did make it back out on the ice in the 2^nd period. Because he is a hockey player and not cheap Blu-Ray player.

OEL (23) – Logged almost 25 minutes, had 3 shots, 2 hits and a block. Not bad at all for a guy that a lot of people would verify was pretty beat up after last night.

GOLIGOSKI (33) – Had a pretty solid game until he committed a penalty in the 3^rd period. I don’t think it was a frustration issue or even on purpose, but that is the last thing you want to do against a team like the Blues. There was definitely no question on the call. In fact they could have probably given him 4 or 5 penalties on that same play. 

DEMERS (55) – Quietly had a solid game. Still feels like he’s getting back up to speed.

OESTERLE (82) –  Was on the ice. Not one of my favorite nights for him.

STEPAN (21) – Seems to be really engaged early in this one. He had a point blank shot on the Blues tender, but wasn’t able to bury it in the 1^st period. He had another really nice shot on net in the 2^nd.

KUEMPER (35) – All he did was stand on his head. No big deal. Circus people do that all the time.

WRAP UP – Well so much for folding up shop and giving up on getting wins back to back on the road against the last 2 Stanley Cup Champions. By the way, that is the first time that has ever happened 69 previous opportunities for teams to try and do it in NHL history.  2 OT wins in the shootout, from the most boring team in the league*. Don’t worry about it… these are the Coyotes and they are just here to kick your teeth in.

*- A few games back I talk about this writer that un-wisely called the Coyotes boring.