Click to hear Wayne’s post game comments after a tough loss against the visiting San Jose Sharks.
Coach Gretzky:
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Tellqvist will be back in goal tonight.
- Todd
Mikael Tellqvist has helped turn the Coyotes around. He stopped 37 shots in his second consecutive start as the Coyotes beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 Friday afternoon. Hear Wayne’s post game comments after the win:
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- Todd
Finally. At long last. And now the cliche fest:
And it was. Somehow, someway (thanks to Mikael Tellqvist!!) the Phoenix Coyotes snapped a streak of six straight winless games last night in Columbus. They hadn’t won in two weeks of hockey, dating back to the last time we were in Columbus.
Let’s not sugarcoat it – they shouldn’t have won. But that’s not the point. They did. They found a way to win after killing a huge 5 on 3 late in the third, when Viktor Tikhonov crashed the net on a gorgeous play from Shane Doan.
They fought upstream and against the tide of sluggish legs and dubious penalties. And they did so without the services of Olli Jokinen who injured his shoulder late in the first. They won. Back home for three … and I am off for the first two.
Coach Gretzky’s thoughts:
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Have a great Thanksgiving and I’ll see ya next Thursday night on Fox Sports Arizona.
- Todd
Winless in their last six, I’d go ahead and call this a “MUST WIN” for the Coyotes, wouldn’t you? Wayne did pretty much say that after practice yesterday, and sort of went there again today.
Check it out, plus an update on the status of Derek Morris. Gonna be a long flight if things don’t turn around tonight! First ten minutes will tell the story if the Coyotes don’t break down. They are fragile and things can snowball in a hurry.
Coach Gretzky’s pregame:
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Check it out on Fox Sports Arizona!
- Todd
Losing is never easy.
If you don’t have a sour feeling in the pit of your stomach after a loss, you shouldn’t be in the competitive business of pro sports.
The Phoenix Coyotes made an organizational decision last year when they committed to youngsters Martin Hanzel and Peter Mueller to go along with 2nd year pros Dan Carcillo and Daniel Winnik. They took it a step further this season with Kyle Turris, Mikkel Boedker, Kevin Porter and Viktor Tikhonov.
That’s one heck of a jump.
They brought in Ollie Jokinen and Kurt Sauer, to go along with David Hale, Todd Fedoruk and Brian McGratton.
You know there are bumps in the road. This is the best league in the World, with time proven players that are battle proven during hard times. There are world class skill players that are good enough to represent their Countries in International competitions.
It can sometimes take young phenoms 2-4 yrs to be impact, go to players.
On a great team like Detroit, it took Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg 3 yrs to be top end, reliable players that could go against the other teams best defenseman and defensive specialists at the forward position. There are enough of them in this league.
This is the course that was chosen and the main thing to always keep in mind is the positive side of preparation, teaching and patience.
During an off day in Columbus after a really tough loss in NY, where 5 players played their 1st game at World Famous Madison Square Garden, Wayne Gretzky and his coaching staff put the players through a high tempo, technical specail teams practice that had all the energy of a team on a 5 game win streak instead of a team that has only been able to get secure points in a shoot out loss vs Chicago and an OT loss in Philly in last 6 games.
It is all about vision. It is about the big picture, but at the same time it is also about veteran players that want and need to win.
The vision is there. The Vets are all giving it there all. The Coyotes have great men in the room, guys that you can lean on in tough times. If there are older players that aren’t in the same boat, rowing in the same direction, then they would have to go. You can’t afford to have any bad guys, it makes for bad leadership and sends the wrong message.
I couldn’t be more impressed with the majority of these veteran players. The plan is there. This team can win. They have as much speed and skill as any group of young players on any team in the NHL. Now its about sicking with it. Score some goals and learn how to win, instead of finding small ways to lose games.
There are only 4 points separating the 8th from from the Coyotes. They have given up the 5th fewest goals in the Western Conference. They are in the hunt.
They have to look forward going into every game and if they play the way they did in NY in the 1st 30 minutes, there are plenty of wins the rest of the way.
- Panger, 40
This hurts! The Coyotes came out and looked like they were ready to roll last night at Madison Square Garden. In fact, for the third straight game, they had the lead. Once again, however, it was short lived.
The Rangers were good enough to win, but it really isn’t about the opposition these days. It’s all about the Coyotes and the frustration that mounts with each shift, each period, each game as they just can’t find ways to score. And, when they do, they can’t find ways to put their opponent away.
Comments from Wayne:
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So, winless in six. The road trip continues to Columbus, Ohio where somebody has to pick this team up and put it on his back. Somebody is going to have to do something extraordinary.
Maybe it happens tomorrow night?
We’ll be watching…
- Todd
I for one, can’t wait. I saw the looks in the eyes and on the faces of this oh so very young hockey team this morning. “The World’s Most Famous Arena” awaits. Madison Square Garden, New York.
Listen to Wayne’s advice that he gave them … and who would know better about playing on the great stage?
Comments from 99:
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See ya on Fox Sports Arizona!
- Todd
Mick Kern appears courtesy of Live From Wayne Gretzky’s
Folks, calm down.
Take a deep breath, and look around you. The world is not falling apart. Okay, maybe it is financially, which, of course, influences everything we do, but try to forget that apocalypse for the moment.
Focus.
On the fan voting for the upcoming NHL All-Star Game in Montreal. And take that deep breath again.
Folks, it’s the All-Star Game. A mid-season exhibition of shinny. None of it means anything in the long run. None of it means anything the next morning. It’s a mid-term schmooze fest for hockey industry types, a chance to take a breather before they go back to beating each other’s brains in. Probably from behind.
Outside of the programme salespeople, the only ones in the entire building working up a sweat that day will be the goaltenders. They’re sitting ducks. They don’t have a prayer. People pay their money in order to see the NHL gunners fill the net with rubber. No one really wants to see a goaltender steal the show. Save that for the real games. This is the All-Star Game; as close as the NHL will ever get to being the razzle-dazzle, all sizzle NBA. What’s the over-under on the final total goal count. anyhow?
So does it really matter that some computer-literate fans in Montreal have been stuffing the electronic ballot box? Sure, it runs counter to the spirit of the entire affair; fans voting for their favourite players, over and and over and over and over again. Yup, how dare those hackers in Montreal monkey around with true democracy. Do they think this is the state of Florida? Hopefully their mom will ground them for at least a week.
If anything, outside of the honour of hanging out with your peers, and the really cool gift bag, it’s understandable if a player logged onto the internet, took a quick survey of the latest all-star voting results, and then proceeded to click onto the name of his nearest rival in the voting…and made sure that it’s that dude who will be going to the All-Star Game, not him.
Hey, who couldn’t use a mid-season break?
In the name of restoring some sanity to the choices for the 2008-09 NHL All-Star Game, I’ve cut through all the hype and hysteria, and come up with the six goaltenders who’ll be making the trip to Montreal. No need to thank me. Now you can go back to using the internet for what it was initially intended for, watching people make total fools of themselves on YouTube.
NHL EASTERN ALL-STAR GOALTENDERS:
No controvery here, as there are three men who are heads-and-shoulders above every other netminders in the East. One of them is now a perennial All-Star, and Vezina contender, the second is a journeyman who’s surprised many by making his mark permanent, and the third is keeping himself afloat on a team that is well below the waterline.
- Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers
- Tim Thomas – Boston Bruins
- Mike Smith – Tampa Bay Lightning
Not sure how anyone can argue with these choices. No doubt many will, but most of those arguments will be tainted by their own prejudices as they shill for their guy. One would imagine Carey Price will actually be named to the team, as it’s in Montreal, and young Price has shined at times this season, but he has not outplayed any of these three picks. If one of these gentlemen are injured, then Price’s inclusion could be justified.
Personally, I think Joey MacDonald of the Islanders should be the fourth choice. He’s had a fine first two months, considering the team he’s playing on. Sorry Alex Auld, a fine performance, but not all-star worthy. Stats are important, but they don’t always paint the whole picture. This isn’t fantasy hockey, this is the real thing.
NHL WESTERN ALL-STAR GOALTENDERS:
These three gentlemen are obvious choices; there’s no way anyone can construct a rational argument against them.
- Roberto Luongo – Vancouver Canucks
- Niklas Backstrom – Minnesota Wild
- Marty Turco – Dallas Stars
I know what you’re saying, what the heck is Turco doing on this list? Have you seen this guy play recently? Yes, indeed I have. Turco has been a top notch goaltender over the past few seasons, and his fall-from-grace this fall has been stunning. If anything, he’d be perfect for the All-Star Game, since everyone wants to see goals, goals, and more goals.
Okay, let’s give Marty a well-needed break. Instead, how about the goaltender not wanted by his own team, the ultimate orphan, Nikolai Khabibulin of the Chicago Blackhawks? Let’s see, the media darlings of this past off-season, the “Back Hawks”, foolishly throw a load of money at Christobal Huet, only to watch in horror as the incumbent, Khabibulin, plays like it’s 2004. Now the rumour mill has it that Blackhawk players would mutiny if the suits decide to trade the Bulin Wall. What is this, Tampa Bay north?
San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames fans will no doubt lobby for their guy, and for good reasons, but my mind is made up.
And keep this in mind, the only real All-Stars that matter are the guys named to the post-season First and Second All-Star Teams. Now that’s an accomplishment.
- Mick Kern
Mick Kern appears courtesy of Live From Wayne Gretzky’s
This one hurt. And it will hurt up until at least face off on Monday night here in New York at Madison Square Garden. I’ll admit, I was staring at the clock. I was counting down the minutes and the seconds, waiting for my post game interview with Todd Fedoruk. Couldn’t wait, actually. I knew how much it meant for him to come back to Philly for the first time as a member of the visiting team. He was wearing the “A” and he had scored what for all intents and purposes was about to be the game winning goal.
A four game winless streak was about to end. And it had to. Then, the bottom fell out. And, after not getting the puck in the offensive zone in OT, on the power play, the Coyotes lost.
This one hurt. And it will hurt. Off day tomorrow.
But it will linger.
Listen to Coach Gretzky’s post-game:
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See you on Fox Sports Arizona on Monday night from the “Great Arena.”
- Todd
I’ll keep it short and sweet. They played better. But they are in the midst of a goal scoring drought. But as every hockey coach in the land will tell you, you can’t score if you don’t shoot the puck.
They had 15 shots in the first period, 13 the rest of the way. Four straight games without a win……a closed door meeting, players only afterwards. The kids have been challenged to step up to the plate. Derek Morris’s status is in doubt tonight.
Here’s Wayne:
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See you on AZ TV.
- Todd