Tag Archives: Coyotes

Edmonton Oilers, Zach Laing

Oilers vs Coyotes Preview – A Hot Take on Hendricks’ suspension, and the Oilers dress Seven D,

20160102_OilersCoyotes9

TALE OF THE TAPE:

Game: Edmonton Oilers (17-22-3) at Arizona Coyotes (21-16-4)

Location: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona

Time: 7:00 PM MT

Where to find it: TV: Sportsnet West – Radio: 630 CHED

On Hendricks: 

Now, while I do not condone the intentional injury of a player, or the injury of a player in general I am very okay with the Matt Hendricks hit on Aaron Ekblad.

OW! Okay, stop with the pitchforks. I get it, it’s an uncommon opinion and you probably hate me for it but that’s okay.

The Oilers are a soft team and we don’t often see them take over a game physically, or consistently play physical games for that matter. Simply put, the attitude Matt Hendricks and the rest of the Oilers roster showed against the Panthers Sunday night is everything the team have been missing. After Taylor Hall was hit by Erik Gudbranson (clean hit, I know), Hendricks dropped the mitts with Alex Petrovic the following shift.

I’m sure it wasn’t his intention to lay a suspendable hit on Ekblad. Hendricks is an fast playing, energy player and these sort of instances happen.

“Inside, I know I’m not a player trying to be malicious,” said Hendricks.

Now, go listen to Todd McLellan after the game:

A reporter, who I believe is TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, asked Todd if he was happy with the way his team responded, and McLellan’s answer was awesome. This isn’t a league anymore where players are coming flying in like maniacs punching every face in sight.

The way the Oilers responded to the hit on Hall was excellent. The team increased the tempo of the game, and ended up with what was one of their best showings as a team the entire season.

If Taylor Hall has to get hit like that to get the Oilers playing a more complete and motivated hockey game, then something is wrong. That is a style of play the Oilers need more of, especially in a tough Western Conference.

I don’t expect Edmonton to start running around taking heads off of every other team’s players, but the team is going to start to win more games if they continue to play with the mentality they brought to the table Sunday night.

Edmonton Oilers Preview:

Tonight, as the Oilers prepare to take on the Arizona Coyotes sans Matt Hendricks, Todd McLellan and co. decided to dress seven defenceman instead of a forward.

“It allows us to be a little more liberal with ice time,” said McLellan. “When you dress six and there’s a player who is not going real well in the first five or seven minutes of the game, it’s really hard to shorten your bench up in that situation.”

Really, it’s a hard argument to go against. With the way the Oilers D have been playing, there is always someone who isn’t really deserving of the ice time given to them.

The Oilers and Coyotes just met ten days ago, when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins netted the game winner to allow Edmonton to cruise to a 4-3 victory. Cam Talbot got the start that night and stopped 31 of 34 shots.

A matchup with the Coyotes tonight sparks a three game trip through Pacific Division opponents, with the Oilers taking on the Sharks on Thursday in San Jose, then the Flames Saturday night in Calgary.

Nail Yakupov will not return to the lineup, but is a viable option Thursday against the Sharks.

The Otherside:

Goalie Louis Domingue is expected to make his 11th start in 12 games. With the exception of goalie Mike Smith (abdominal surgery), who is not expected to return until late February, Arizona is healthy. In Smith’s absence, Domingue, 23, is 6-2-2 with a .936 save percentage since being recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League, including a 4-0 shutout against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. “He came in this year with a lot to prove,” coach Dave Tippett told the Coyotes website. “He was hoping to have a chance to be that No. 2 guy, and then we signed [Anders] Lindback. So he came in very driven in camp and played well in camp. But with the numbers, he went down. He’s come back and got the opportunity, and now he’s running with it.” The win Saturday came in the first of a seven-game homestand. The Coyotes are 7-1-2 in their past 10 games and in second place in the Pacific Division at the midway point of the season. – nhl.com

Line Combos and Starting Goalies c/o Daily Faceoff:

Oilers (Anders Nilsson):
Taylor Hall – Leon Draisaitl – Teddy Purcell
Benoit Pouliot – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle
Lauri Korpikoski – Mark Letestu – Iiro Pakarinen
Rob Klinkhammer – Anton Lander

Andrej Sekera – Brandon Davidson
Darnell Nurse – Justin Schultz
Mark Fayne – Eric Gryba
Brad Hunt

Coyotes (Louis Dominique):

Max Domi – Antoine Vermette – Mikkel Boedker
Tobias Reider – Martin Hanzal – Anthony Duclair
Jordan Martinook – Brad Richardson – Shane Doan
Kyle Chipchura – Boyd Gordon – Viktor Tikhonov

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Connor Murphy
Klas Dahlback – Zbynek Michalek
Nick Grossman – Michael Stone

Any ideas on how to improve my game previews? Send me an email at zjlaing@gmail.com.

 

Edmonton Oilers, Zach Laing

Oilers vs Coyotes Preview – “I’ll take a win for a thousand, Alex.”

 

 

TALE OF THE TAPE:

Game: Edmonton Oilers (15-18-3) vs Arizona Coyotes (18-16-3)

Location: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta

Time: 7:00 PM MT

Where to find it: TV: Sportsnet West – Radio: 630 CHED

Edmonton Oilers Preview:

Auston Matthews am I right?

Well, that’s what I imagined Arizona was thinking at the start of the season, but clearly the team has had other plans.

Lead by Max Domi, the Coyotes are right in the thick of things in an odd Pacific Division. Tonight, the Oilers are in dire need of a win and some life.

The team has faltered during this Pacific Division dance, losing all of the last four games played (VAN, CGY, LAK, ANA). This had been a fantastic chance to get some interdivision points and an opportunity to climb in the standings.

“This is a super important stretch for us, you know its five in a row against the Pacific Division and it hasn’t gone our way so far, but we still got time, we can turn it around here with a couple on the home stand,” said Rob Klinkhammer.

“I think if we stick with it, maybe get a little grittier, bear down a bit, we’ll be fine, the guys have been working their butts off here, it’s been a long stretch, I’m proud of them for that and hopefully I can get back out there and help ’em.”

However, it has been the exact opposite.

With Connor McDavid returning to the practice ice, the questions turn to “when will he return?”. It’s so difficult to put the hopes of your season on the backs of a 18-year old kid.

If the team is able to tide the waves for the next few weeks, I hope that McDavid would be able to help provide a push for a late season playoff run.

Last time the two teams met was on November 12th, when the Oilers fell 4-1.

 

The Otherside:

Goalie Louis Domingue is likely to make his seventh start in eight games, coach Dave Tippetttold the Arizona Republic. Forwards Martin Hanzal (lower body) and Boyd Gordon (upper body) will travel on the road trip but likely won’t play Saturday. Gordon hopes to play against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Hanzal and Gordon each participated in an optional practice Friday. Injured goalie Mike Smith (core) briefly skated in sweats on his own. “He’s a long way off,” Tippett said. The Coyotes have gone 4-1-1 in their past six games and begin a three-game trip through Western Canada. They defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4-2 at home Thursday, when Doan scored his 380th NHL goal to set the Winnipeg/Arizona record, one more than Dale Hawerchuk. Doan has nine goals in his past 10 games.

Line Combos and Starting Goalies c/o Left Wing Lock:


Oilers (Cam Talbot):
Taylor Hall – Leon Draisaitl – Teddy Purcell
Benoit Pouliot – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle
Matt Hendricks – Mark Letestu – Lauri Korpikoski
Rob Klinkhammer – Anton Lander – Jujhar Khaira

Darnell Nurse – Andrej Sekera
Justin Schultz – Mark Fayne
Brandon Davidson – Brad Hunt

Coyotes (Louis Domingue):
Max Domi – Antoine Vermette – Mikkel Boedker
Tobias Reider – Viktor Tikhonov – Anthony Duclair
Jordan Martinook – Brad Richardson – Shane Doan
John Scott – Kyle Chipchura – Craig Cunningham

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Connor Murphy
Nicklas Grossman – Michael Stone
Klas Dahlbeck – Zbynek Michalek

Any ideas on how to improve my game previews? Send me an email at zjlaing@gmail.com.

Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Zach Laing

Oilers vs Coyotes Preview – Dancing in the Desert

TALE OF THE TAPE:

Game: Edmonton Oilers (6-10-0) at Arizona Coyotes (8-6-1)

Location: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona

Time: 7:00 PM MT

Where to find it: TV: Sportsnet Oilers – Radio: 630 CHED

Edmonton Oilers Preview:

Coming off of the heels of a big 4-3 victory last night against the Anaheim Ducks, your Edmonton Oilers look to build off that success and knock off the Coyotes.

When the season began I easily identified teams that the important games the Oilers were to win this season, and that was teams in the Pacific Division; More specifically, the Coyotes, Flames, Canucks and Ducks. Last season, the Oilers went winless in games played against those divisional opponents and 4-21-4 against all Pacific Division teams.

In order for the Oilers to make a push in the standings, road trips through the Pacific Division like the one the team is on now is huge for the group. Wins here means that we can make steps towards advancing out of the basement of the division. So far this season, the Oilers are 3-2 against divisional opponents which a great start to the season.

The Coyotes have come out and started strong this season despite the fact that many around the Hockey world figured they would be a front runner in the Auston Matthews sweepstakes. None the less, they currently sit third in the division and in a playoff spot.

Tonight, the spotlight is on the young guns as Leon Draisaitl and recently recalled Anton Slepyshev will face off against rookie sensation Max Domi and Anthony Duclair. Slepyshev, who was recalled a mere three games after being sent to the Bakersfield Condors, draws back into the lineup alongside

The Otherside:


Arizona received a well-deserved day off Wednesday after winning road games against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings on back-to-back nights. The Coyotes have won three of four games this month. “We have to keep winning, keep getting points, especially these in our division,” goalie Anders Lindback told The Arizona Republic. “It’s really important games and even if it’s early in the season, every point matters so it’s a big win.” Arizona assigned forward Dustin Jeffrey to Springfield of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. – nhl.com

Line Combos and Starting Goalies:

Oilers (Anders Nilsson):


Oilers lineup courtesy of DailyFaceoff.com

Coyotes (Mike Smith):


Coyotes lineup c/o Left Wing Lock

Any ideas on how to improve my game previews? Send me an email at zjlaing@gmail.com.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSAJ0l4OBHM]

Jack Gruninger, NHL

15-16 Season Primers: The Arizona Coyotes

Welcome back for the second part of 15-16 Season Primers. Today we’re going to take a look at the Arizona Coyotes. The team had a very disappointing season on a number of fronts. The season was plagued by losing and an arena controversy, and by the end of it all, they still didn’t get one of the two highly touted franchise centers in the draft, despite finishing in second last place. On December 31st, 2014, the NHL Board of Governors approved IceArizona’s sale of a 51% stake in the Coyotes to entrepreneur Andrew Barroway. Following the conclusion of the season, the Glendale City Council voted to terminate the arena lease agreement between them and the Coyotes. A legal dispute ensued, and on July 23rd, the city and team reached a new 2 year agreement. In a press release on the team’s website, co-owner, president, and CEO Anthony LeBlanc said that “we did not agree to a two-year agreement so we could relocate in the future. The simple truth is, if we wanted to leave we had the out to do so this summer. We didn’t take it. We fought as hard as we needed to because we believe in this market. We have never changed our opinion on that simple fact. Anyone who says otherwise has no idea what he or she is talking about.”

LeBlanc wants the Coyotes and the city to work out a long-term agreement, although I suspect the two sides have differing views on the long-term potential of the Coyotes in Glendale.

Key Additions: C Dylan Strome, C Antoine Vermette, C Brad Richardson, C Boyd Gordon, RW Steve Downie, LD Nicklas Grossman, RD Zbynek Michalek, G Anders Lindback

Key Subtractions: C Sam Gagner, C Mark Arcobello, LW Lauri Korpikoski, LW Tye McGinn, RW Martin Erat, RW David Moss, RW B.J. Crombeen, LD John Moore, LD Andrew Campbell

The Coyotes will come into this season with some familiar faces back on the roster in Antoine Vermette and Zbynek Michalek. Michalek won’t provide much offense but he’s a very good defensive defenceman who has had success playing alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Vermette will be a center in the top 6, but his value will more likely come as a veteran presence rather than through his playing abilities:

Antoine Vermette HERO Chart.

The Coyotes drafted Dylan Strome third overall, who will go back to juniors this season and be asked to prove that he can produce without McDavid. I could see him in the NHL for the 16-17 season, but not this season. With rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair almost certainly going to be in the lineup, and likely even in the top 6 for Arizona this season, they won’t want 3 rookie forwards playing key roles.

One trend I saw from the Coyotes this offseason was a replacement of skilled players with more “gritty” players. Sam Gagner, Mark Arcobello, Lauri Korpikoski, Martin Erat, and John Moore have been replaced with Brad Richardson, Boyd Gordon, Steve Downie, and Nicklas Grossman. If we compare players by the positions they will be taking, we have Brad Richardson taking Arcobello’s spot, Gordon taking Gagner’s, Downie replacing Erat, Grossman replacing Moore, and Korpikoski simply being replaced by a rookie. Let’s compare some of these players.

Richardson/Arcobello: I think Arcobello is clearly the better player here. Arcobello was very good in his limited time in Arizona, and I was surprised that they let him go. In the right role, Arcobello could excel, and with a lack of depth I think they could have given Arcobello an opportunity. Instead the team has decided to go with former Vancouver Canuck Brad Richardson. Richardson is an energy player that can produce some offense but he isn’t great defensively. Arcobello’s size may limit him in defensive situations, but he is a possession driver and I believe he should have been kept to create more competition in the top 6 for Arizona. Richardson will be better suited for a role on an energy line than Arcobello though, which explains the change.

Gordon/Gagner: The Coyotes sent Gagner to Philadelphia in the Nicklas Grossman trade. With Vermette and Hanzal in the top 6, Gagner was destined for a role in the bottom 6, which is more ideally taken by a better defensive forward. Boyd Gordon won’t produce the offense that Gagner would have, but he is significantly better defensively and will fit in better on Arizona’s 4th line.

Downie/Erat: Like Richardson replacing Arcobello, I’m not sure if Downie is an upgrade on Erat. Erat is definitely on the decline, but Downie is going to be asked to take on a top 6 role with the Coyotes.

Martin Erat HERO Chart.

 

Steve Downie HERO Chart.

The two players produce very similar offence, but Erat has the slight edge possession wise. Downie also had the advantage of spending some time with Sidney Crosby, which has likely boosted his totals somewhat. I give a slight edge to Erat here, but surely there is a reason he hasn’t been signed yet, no?

Grossman/Moore: Another surprising move by the Coyotes was not qualifying John Moore, who was acquired in the Keith Yandle trade. The team isn’t jammed full of waiver eligible defencemen, so much like Arcobello, keeping him around for the competition wouldn’t have hurt. Regardless, the team has again added a veteran presence, although Grossman seems like a clear downgrade here:

John Moore HERO Chart.

 

Nicklas Grossman HERO Chart.

Moore seems like a very underrated player, New Jersey got a good deal there. Arizona feels that Grossman can be a good mentor for Klas Dahlbeck, a young defender acquired from Chicago whom they are very high on.

Examining these moves, I don’t think the Coyotes have done much in terms of upgrading their team, and they will be relying heavily on rookies to fill key roles. John Scott will clearly make them an instant cup contender though.

Projected Lines (All Players Healthy):
Mikkel Boedker – Antoine Vermette – Anthony Duclair
Max Domi – Martin Hanzal – Steve Downie
Tobias Rieder (Thanks Tambellini) – Brad Richardson – Shane Doan
Kyle Chipchura – Boyd Gordon – Joe Vitale
John Scott – Craig Cunningham

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Zbynek Michalek
Brandon Gormley – Michael Stone
Klas Dahlbeck – Nicklas Grossman
Philip Samuelsson

Mike Smith
Anders Lindback

Roster Contenders: C Henrik Samuelsson, C Brendan Shinnimin, C Dustin Jeffrey, C Matthias Plachta, C Dylan Strome, LW Lucas Lessio, LW Jordan Martinook, LW Christian Dvorak, LW Brendan Perlini, RW Jordan Szwarz, LD Derek Smith, RD Connor Murphy, RD Dylan Reese, G Niklas Treutle

It will be interesting to see how Max Domi and Anthony Duclair do. Duclair was good in a short stint with the Rangers, while Domi has been tearing up the OHL for the last few seasons. If we use NHL equivalencies, we get 14-30-44 for Domi and 12-16-28 for Duclair, both over 82 games played. I think these are reasonable expectations for these players, I think Duclair could produce even more.

The center depth on this team isn’t great. Hanzal is an excellent player, but the rest may be better suited for bottom 6/depth roles. The depth on the wings is alright, assuming the rookies aren’t a disaster. Mikkel Boedker seems to be a lot like Antoine Vermette to me though:

Mikkel Boedker HERO Chart.

Arizona’s defence is solid. It’s not spectacular, but there are good pieces here. Ekman-Larsson and Michalek will form a very good top pairing, while Gormley and Stone could be very good on the second pair. As mentioned, Grossman will act as a mentor for Dahlbeck, and those two work as a third pairing.

In the system, Arizona has several promising rookie forwards who will likely take on key roles for the team in the future, including Dylan Strome, Henrik Samuelsson, Brendan Perlini, and Christian Dvorak. The team lacks depth on defense and in goal though, and goes into this season with a tandem of Mike Smith and Anders Lindback, two players who struggled at times.

An interesting name amongst the roster contenders is Connor Murphy. Murphy spent the entirety of the 2014-15 season with the Coyotes. The Hockey News describes Murphy as a talented offensive defenceman, but he only put up 7 points in 73 games. Unless there is an injury on defence, I think he starts the season with Springfield, Arizona’s AHL affiliate, but is the first call-up when a defenceman is needed.

All in all, while Arizona has made some significant changes this offseason, there weren’t any moves that clearly upgraded the team from what they had last season. This again looks like a team that is destined for the basement, and maybe this year they will be able to get their franchise center in Auston Matthews.

Next time we’re going to jump over to the Eastern Conference and take a look at the Carolina Hurricanes. Thanks for reading!

 

If you haven’t already, check out the new “Straight Outta Oil Country” shirt from the Beer League Heroes! For a limited time only, they are on sale for $14, so get yours today!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the other parts of the “Season Primers” series:
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Carolina Hurricanes
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars

Brennen York, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

3 – Arizona Coyotes

The game plan for Don Maloney is one that is pretty straight forward: Acquire great young prospects that will be effective in the future. There’s a very good core being built in the desert that includes the likes of Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Brendan Perlini, and I have to say, the future looks fairly bright for a team who’s off ice situation is far from it. With the depth of forward prospects, and the fact the Yotes have two first round selections, Maloney may need to start looking at bringing in young NHL players (like Kane in Buffalo) to solidify the core. 

If the Coyotes are going to use the pick, rather than trading down (or to Buffalo for Sam Reinhart), there’s a few good options at 3. It’s extremely unlikely that anyone other than Strome, Hanifin, or Marner will hear their name called that early, with that being said I believe that Dylan Strome is the guy they go with. Strome’s name has been rumoured around the Coyotes organization for a while now, and for a lot of reasons it makes sense. The Coyotes lack size down the middle, as well, they don’t have a prospect who’s really expected to be that number one center who can post 90+ points, and Strome is the guy who may come closest to that. That’s not a knock on Domi or Dvorak, but Strome has the ability to be a number one center and take over a team similar to that of Eric Staal. He may not fall into that elite category like Tavares or Stamkos, but he could end up being a very good player. 

Mitchell Marner is another option in this spot. With ties to Domi and Dvorak, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to grab the speedy winger even if he brings a game similar to Max Domi. Noah Hanifin brings something the Yotes don’t have. A blue chip defensive prospect. He’s going to be a stud, and if it were me with the pick I’d have no problem grabbing him with the third overall pick. However, I’m not Don Maloney, and I do believe Maloney comes out of the draft with a Strome brother. Further down in the draft, at 30, there will be a lot of good prospects on the board. Keep an eye on Jake Debrusk, Noah Juulsen, and Ilya Samsonov. I know it will be a fun day for Yotes fans, but I’d be cautious as the draft approaches. The Coyotes may not hold the 3rd overall pick come June 26th.

Draft Day Gameplan

– With picks 30 and 32, look at moving into the top 22. It’d be fine to stay, grab two good prospects, but I feel a good player will be there in the top 22/23.

– If you go with Hanifin at 3, look at a Gormley for Grigorenko deal.

– If the choice is to move down, make teams pay a premium. Don’t fall out of the top 10, add one or two A grade prospects.

– Hold on to Mikkel Bodker. I’ve heard rubies around him being dealt, but hang on to him, he’s young, speedy, and proven.

Yotes Big Board (Without McEichel)

1. Dylan Strome
2. Noah Hanifin
3. Mitchell Marner
4. Ivan Provorov
5. Mathew Barzal
6. Mikko Rantanen
7. Pavel Zacha
8. Kyle Connor
9. Travis Konecny
10. Lawson Crouse

Who do they take?

If they pick at 3, they’re likely going with Dylan Strome. Whoever they take there, they will be getting a really good prospect, but Strome fills a need and the argument can be made that he may be the BPA at that point. Strome is justified, Hanifin the smarter pick.

Darkhorse?

In the situation that they trade down, I believe they’d have interest in both Mathew Barzal and Kyle Connor. Both have the potential to be good NHL centers, and I could see them loving Barzal at this point in their rebuild.