Dallas Stars @ Phoenix Coyotes Preview: Win It For Coop
by Dude, The on Feb 18, 2012 3:01 PM MST
in Coyotes Game Previews
Email
PrintTonight under the watchful, mascaraed eyes of Alice Cooper your Phoenix Coyotes will be facing off for the fifth time this season against the Dallas Stars at Jobing.com Arena at 6pm. If you somehow forgot how well the Coyotes have been playing lately allow me to refresh your memory. They had a five game winning streak which included a 4-1 victory over the Stars, they got a point against one of the top teams Vancouver, they got a shutout victory over LA last Thursday, and of course Mike Smith has back to back shutouts. So far the Yotes have not managed to beat the Stars at home, although the Stars won those games in shoot outs.
The Phoenix Coyotes will be playing with two people brought up from Portland, Michael Stone and Matt Watkins. This is coming off the fact that three Coyotes will most likely be out of the game tonight after a tough week, Taylor Pyatt is out after the Vancouver game, Rostislav Klesla after a hit in the LA game, and Derek Morris is still out with illness. Hopefully Stone and Watkins can fill the big shoes that are being left empty with guys like Klesla and Pyatt being injured, and hopefully someone brings Derek Morris some soup so he can get better soon.
The Stars were in the news recently, they beat the Calgary Flames and are on the hunt to get into the playoffs. They also recently traded defenseman Nicklas Grossman to Philadelphia and yesterday they recalled a forward, Ryan Garbutt from their AHL team. Away they aren't the best team, they are currently 13-14-1, but they did manage to take the Coyotes to the shoot out and win twice, so they do know something about playing at Jobing.com. They are currently 4 points out of an 8th place spot and have played 1 game less than Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Five For Winning:
1. Win in regulation. We don't want three point games against Western Conference teams, especially against a Pacific Division team, and especially against a team who has managed to beat them twice in a shoot out.
2. Score first and keep the lead. So far the Yotes are 2-0-2 against the Stars when they score first. Scoring first is definitely doing something for the Coyotes, so lets not change what is working.
3. Play off the home crowd. Since the Desert Dogs have yet to beat the Stars at home they really need to work to give something for the fans at home.
4. Strong Defense. There is a reason that Smith has back to back shutouts. Well 2 reasons: 1) he is very good and 2) the defense is really helping him out. Hopefully they can continue this streak against a team that has not had the best offense against the Yotes.
5. Discipline. It was crazy the amount of penalties that were happening in the LA/Phoenix game on Thursday, but the Coyotes may not want to play that way again. Dallas only has 1 power play goal against Phoenix, lets keep it that way.
Key Players
Only 2 players on the Coyotes have 2 goals against the Dallas Stars this season and Raffi Torres is one of them, the other is Radim Vrbata. Torres is going to be needed to score points and play a physical game of course.
Adam Burish has scored goals in the past two games and he scored against the Coyotes earlier in the season. He's definitely a player to watch.
Likely Goalies
Hmm should we start the guy who has allowed 1 goal in 2 games against the team we are playing tonight?
Kari Lehtonen has played in every game against the Coyotes including taking over 5 and a half minutes of the last period 2 games ago. He is the better goalie and you have to figure a team fighting for their playoff spot is going to go with their best.
Injuries
Head over to Defending Big D for Dallas' side of the story, and I hope to see you at the game.
4 comments
|
Add comment
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Jamie Benn also likely out...
At least from what I’ve read, he will not play tonight with a laceration to his leg. Hate injuries to players, and don’t cheer for them, but getting one of the Stars’ best players and All Stars out of the line-up for a key match…yes, please.
Support Coyotes Hockey - Five For Howling
(Oh, and go Philly teams as well!)
not bad mate.
It's not what you've done but what you are doing that matters.
Make its ass quit -TWEsq, concerning my fight against Multiple Sclerosis
by AlabamaJammer on Feb 18, 2012 4:07 PM MST up reply actions
correction
the coyotes have beat the stars at home. so the yotes are 1-0-1 at home and the same away
by Dude, The on Feb 18, 2012 5:49 PM MST via Android app reply actions
Something to say? Choose one of these options to log in.
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Five For Howling
Related FanShots on Five For Howling
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Coyotes Schedule
Next 5 Games
@
Los Angeles
|
Thu 05/24 | TBA |
|
Los Angeles
|
Sat 05/26 | TBA |
Last 5 Games
|
Los Angeles
|
Tue 05/22 | SO - L 3 - 4 |
|
@
Los Angeles
|
Sun 05/20 | W 2 - 0 |
|
@
Los Angeles
|
Thu 05/17 | L 1 - 2 |
|
Los Angeles
|
Tue 05/15 | L 0 - 4 |
|
Los Angeles
|
Sun 05/13 | L 2 - 4 |
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Wednesday’s Three Stars: Devils fourth line steps up; Watch Prust dive
- Stephen Gionta leads Devils in Game 5 triumph over the New York Rangers
- Rangers, Devils back at MSG for pivotal Game 5; NHL 13 screenshots (Playoff Puck Previews)
- CBC announces ‘While the Men Watch Hockey Night,’ sets off backlash over sexism
- Eulogy: Remembering the 2011-12 Phoenix Coyotes
