IT CAME FROM OUT OF THE ICE : COYOTES (2) VS JETS (4) 3/9/20

IT CAME FROM OUT OF THE ICE : COYOTES (2) VS JETS (4) 3/9/20

CAPSULE : Both teams have had a few days to think about their lives, but I can tell you right now Winnipeg’s thoughts about their lives were slightly better than the Coyotes who lost 3-2 on Friday night. Winnipeg has 28 regulation wins making tonight’s game even more critical than usual, at 35-28-6 with 76 points the Jets are suddenly a serious contender for the playoffs. The Coyotes are on the outside looking in, but are still just 3 points from a Wild Card spot. The Coyotes have 26 regulation wins and are currently at a tragic number of 27. The basic idea behind a tragic number is that you just need it to not go down to 0 or you are eliminated from any chance of post-season heroics. You also get sent home with no ice cream. The Coyotes are currently 33-28-8 with 74 pts.

SCHMALTZ (8) : 2 GOALS ) – Scored on his only 2 shots of the 1^st period. The first one he drove into heavy traffic with 4 Jets around him to bury it top shelf off a heads up pass from Kessel. The 2^nd goal came with 1.2 seconds left in the 1^st period with Schmaltz and Soderberg just driving to the net like mad-men. Some fans are trying to say we needed to trade Schmaltz. Look, I complain about this guy sometimes, but he is not one of the players that I would think would be a smart trade at all. Schmaltz’s 1^st period goals made the score 2-0 Coyotes at the time.

SODERBERG (34) – Had an assist on the 2^nd Schmaltz goal. A decent game out of him. 

KESSEL (81) – Had an assist on both Schmaltz goals in the 1^st period. Kessel also almost had a goal from about 2 feet out in the 2^nd period. Kessel lead all forwards with 5 shots in the first 2 periods. Kessel looked good throughout this entire game.

CROUSE (67) – Got pretty beat up by a Jets player in the 1^st period. The fight drew a 5 minute major for him in the 1^st period.

OEL (23) – Got beat badly by a Jets player who put the puck in the net in the 2^nd period. That play cut the Coyotes lead in half at the time making the score 2-1 Coyotes.  I love OEL, but he has not looked like a captain for the past 6 periods. OEL was a -4 tonight which I know some people don't take as a accurate measure of anything and that is fine, but this effort tonight was horrendous.

TP – How is it that everyone needs to buy so much damn toilet paper all of a sudden. We have had a major virus hit every other year since 2008 or so….and this is the one you are letting get to you? Bloody Hell.

RICHARDSON (15) – Had 2 shots deep in close to the Jets net in the 2^nd but couldn’t put either shot in the net.

OESTERLE (82) – Stole a pass in the defensive zone that probably saved a goal. The Jets were coming down on Keumper 3 on 0, when Oesterle was able to get back into the play.

DEMERS (55) – Had an assist on the 2^nd Schmaltz goal.

FRUSTRATION – If I had hair, I would have pulled it all out.

HALL (91) – Seems to have a massive breakaway 2 or 3 times a game. He wasn’t able to score on the one he had in the 2^nd period.

GRABNER (40) – Has been out for 16 games as a healthy scratch. Tonight he had another huge patented breakaway and couldn’t hit the net. Late in the 2^nd period he would give up a puck that ended up getting in the Coyotes zone and in the back of our net. Not a good effort by him at all on the play. Grabner had a partial breakaway in the 3^rd, but couldn’t get the puck past the Jets net-minder. Unfortunately this year Grabner has not brought much to the team. 

LYUBUSHKIN (46) – Had a really good defensive play with about 5 minutes left in the 2^nd period. The play was made while the Jets had a 2 on 1 in right in front of the Coyotes net. Outside of that it was a pretty bad game for him.

THE JETS – Logo is a hundred times better now , than their old logo was.

FISCHER (36) – Seemed like he took most of that 2^nd period off.

KELLER (9) – Didn’t get a shot on net in the entire game. 

HINOSTROZA (13) – Pretty much invisible in the first 2 periods. In the 3^rd period he did have a sneaky little shot at the pads of the Jets goal-tender but couldn’t squeeze the puck over the line.

FACEOFFS – We very rough tonight.

GOLIGOSKI (33) – Had a couple pretty good shots in the 2^nd period. He ended the game with 3 shots.

DEMERS (55) – Actually had a pretty good game tonight. Can’t hang this one on him.

KUEMPER (35) – This is the second game in a row where he played well enough to win, but the team in front of him just couldn’t put enough pucks in the net or expand on a lead.

EXTERNAL ICE – Oilers (83 points) 2 vs Golden Knights (86 points) 3. It honestly didn’t matter who won this game but it didn’t help that it went into OT.

WRAP UP – Second game in a row where the Coyotes just didn’t have enough and the team’s best players didn’t make the plays they needed to make. The game was critical, and while it doesn’t mean the season is over, it’s looking bleaker and bleaker. Right now this team isn’t showing the guts of a team that can make a run. I wish that wasn’t the case, but right now I just am losing confidence this team can make a push but to quote the great philosopher Rocky Balboa, "nothin is over". This time of year, one game can turn the tide. The Coyotes really need to rise up over their up-coming 5 game home streak.