Coyotes at Oilers - Game Preview #24
So I was going back through the archives of the beginnings of this site and found something in my posts that I missed. Quality mocking pictures. AP Photos have been great and I'll continue to use them, but really I love putting up random stuff for opposing teams. I like a good photoshop. I even like the odd LOLcat here or there. So from now on MORE FUNNY PICTURES! Because I'm not a serious person and this is fun time.
On to the serious serious business of our game tonight. Our Injury picture is starting to look up at least a little. Matthew Lombardi was back last game and Ed Jovanovski is on the trip, but no one is sure if he'll be in tonight, not even the Phoenix Coyotes. Zbynek Michalek is getting closer to coming back and reports have him skating in practice. So we've done fair with them out and are getting better. Hopefully that means we can weather injuries that come later in the season as well. For Edmonton, they've been in a bit of a funk losing 5 of 6 and now being without Nikolai Khabibulin with a back issue as well as a laundry list of players like Mike Comrie, Denis Grebeshkov and Fernando Pasani among others. So we aren't the only ones fighting the injury bug.
Five for Winning:
Get the Goalie!: Jeff Deslauriers hasn't gotten a whole lot of ice time this year only getting 5 starts and going 2-2-1 in his chances. He's sporting a .895 save percentage and a 2.96 GAA. Not bad, but not outstanding. Fun fact, he's allowed one more goal in each start than his previous start. 10/12/09 - 1 goal against Nashville, 10/25/09 2 goals against in Vancouver, 11/10/09 - 3 goals against in Ottawa, 11/18/09 - 4 goals against versus Colorado and on 11/21/09 5 goals against versus Chicago. I can only Conclude the Coyotes will score 6 goals tonight.
Our PK has been great as of late!: We even made the top ranked PP unit in the league look silly on Saturday. We're playing responsible and agressive instead of lazy and waiting for things to happen and it's really paying dividends. While we don't have a shorthanded goal yet, we're getting chances and eating up the time efficiently.
Still getting defensive contributions: Keith Yandle has been solid on the blueline with other big names absent and it's really made a difference. He's been more responsible with the puck and is pinching at the right times instead of all the time. The payoff has been that he's been racking up the assists and even some goals like the one against the Flyers.
Time for Mueller to Step up!: Yeah, the HNIC guys are idiots, but if Peter Mueller doesn't start elevating his game soon those dumb rumors may come true. He's had periods here and there where he looks solid, but overall he still looks lazy and isn't winning battles. More importantly he's simply been invisible. Start getting things done Peter or you'll be trade bait for something GMDM and Dave Tippett want.
Dominate the Circle: Phoenix went from being one of the worst teams at faceoffs to one of the top teams this season. The Coyotes have won 51.9% of all the faceoffs they've taken. On the other end, Edmonton is dead last in the league in faceoffs at 45.8%. That should mean more puck control time and more opportunities for the Coyotes.
GO YOTES!
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