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The Gameplan for the Coyotes to Make the Playoffs or Reason Takes a Vacation

Well, we've won our last couple of games but the chances of our making the playoffs is still looking kind of bleak. With how everyone is clumped together in the West, it's possible, though not likely for us to make a run at it. I'll try and break down exactly what has to happen in order for that to occur. First. I'm going to use Mirtle's standard of 90 points to make the Playoffs. It may be a point or 2 more or less at the end with how much canibalism will happen with the teams so close together, but it's a reasonable estimate. As of today we need to go 15-6-1 to get 90 points. So how are we going to accomplish that? Basically out of any 4 games we need to win 3 of them.

Here are the teams we have left on the Schedule

1 Game against - @Bos, @Det, @NYI, @NJ, @Buf, Van, Edm, Dal, @Col

2 Games Against - Nash 1home/1away, LAK 1home/1away

3 Games Against - STL 2home/1away, SJ 1home/2away, Ana 2home/1away

Now, I realize that in those games we'll probably lose 1 or 2 to a team we shouldn't. Likewise we're more than capable of playing up to the level of some of the top teams. The hardest part of all of this is the 5 game east coast swing that has us playing Boston, Detroit, New Jersey and a surging Buffalo team. If we don't at least split those four AND pick up the Islanders it's going to be even harder for us. That's assuming that we're able to scrape out wins in the two St Louis games and the Nashville game that we have before the long roadtrip. SO what's the plan then? How do we make this math work? Well we have to pick up the vast majority of our in conference games. we play the teams in the scramble for the 5-8 spots 14 times out of the remaining 22 games. That's an awful lot of 4 point games to have. Basically if we're able to play the next 8 games and go 6-2 our chances go up dramatically. That would leave us needing to go 9-4-1 which is fairly manageable seeing as while there would be a few San Jose games in there there would also be a lot of Ducks and Kings games. Is it going to happen? Probably not, but If we have any hope at all it'll be decided in the next 2 weeks...

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Next three games

will be key if we wanna make the playoffs. We play against two playoff contenders in our conference (STL and NSH), so we have to win them, as the schedule will get much more tougher later on.

My body might be in Greece, but my mind and my heart is in Arizona. When the heck will I visit the Desert?

by Giannaros on Feb 24, 2009 4:38 AM MST reply actions  

I couldn't agree more...

The boys better be ready to roll tonight in St. Louis…this is a winnable game and one we gotta have. Time for the Yotes to show that they are capable of tearing off a 7-10 game winning streak.

by Jordan Ellel on Feb 24, 2009 6:26 AM MST reply actions  

I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but

the Blues aren’t exactly a pushover these days. Sure they’ve been at the bottom of the West much of the season, but in the last 10 games the Blues have earned 13 points in the standings. The Coyotes? Six.

www.stlouisgametime.com

by Brad Lee on Feb 24, 2009 1:47 PM MST up reply actions  

Ok, so not really, but...

I always wanted to do that.

It should be a great tilt between two up-and-coming franchises.

by HuntsvilleBlues on Feb 24, 2009 1:58 PM MST up reply actions  

Certainly didn't mean to offend...

I have seen St. Louis move right up the standings and even move ahead of the ‘Yotes for a game or two. And I don’t think they’re a pushover by any means…certainly not when compared to the punching bag that the ’Yotes were for 3 weeks following the all-star game. I just mean to say that this is a team that the Coyotes should match-up well against and they need to bring the pressure. This is a must-win game for both teams, really, if they want to make a playoff push…

by Jordan Ellel on Feb 24, 2009 2:13 PM MST up reply actions  

I'm not offended LOL

It needed to be said… it IS winnable, the B-flats are by no means the Ded nor the Fish, they are another on the bubble and teetering team just like us… we gotta take ’em out if we are gonna even look at a playoff run.

Takin over the NHL, 1 blocked shot at a time... Go Z!

by Z4dfense on Feb 24, 2009 2:17 PM MST up reply actions  

I hate the Ded & Fish as well...

Unfortunately, hopefully they will continue to win their games so the rest of us bubble bobblers can rise up in the standings.

by HuntsvilleBlues on Feb 24, 2009 2:32 PM MST up reply actions  

and Ded Fish stink LOL

but yeah… hope those bastages keep winnin, especially against the anyone currently occupying 7 -9 spots in the conference… the enemies of our enemies are our friends? LOL

Takin over the NHL, 1 blocked shot at a time... Go Z!

by Z4dfense on Feb 24, 2009 2:41 PM MST up reply actions  

It's a brutal reality, isn't it?

These 3 point games are absolutely torturous.

by HuntsvilleBlues on Feb 24, 2009 2:53 PM MST up reply actions  

VERY

reasoned and cogent breakdown of what we gotta do…of course a ten game winning streak or a five game losing streak makes it all moot….get a streak of either kind going and it will pretty much decide things…gotta win those 4 pointers..

the yotes 3rd uni sucks

by goldenbear64 on Feb 24, 2009 9:54 AM MST reply actions  

We've done the streak thing

before, it is doable. If we can hit the right notes and sour Mason’s night then hunt the cats to extinction it would give us a lil breathing room. We haven’t had our annual road game winning streak yet, its about that time!

But Brad has a point, the Blues aren’t pushovers (despite losing Legace) Mason has been on a tear lately including 3 shutouts, ughhh We need to come out runnin n gunnin. Yo! Capt. Clutch Olli showed ya how to do that goal threepeat thang (anything to avoid the H word and jinxin Doaner further) Go to it big guy, pick us up on your back and carry us to the promised land LOL (make Jovo walk hisownself, he’s too heavy even if he’s yer brother)

Let’s Go Coyotes!

Takin over the NHL, 1 blocked shot at a time... Go Z!

by Z4dfense on Feb 24, 2009 2:13 PM MST up reply actions  

AW-AW-HOOOOO!

AZYotee in the house! Needin some points and a lot of other teams to lose. So far so good That non-call hit on Z was a joke!

by AZYotee on Feb 24, 2009 7:25 PM MST reply actions  

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