Red Wings use power play to send Coyotes to 6th straight loss and last place 3-2
By Troy Baker
Turn out the lights, the party’s over. No more excuses, no more team meetings, no more goalie changes, no more ref’s fault, and no more playoff talk.
Mar. 25, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Phoenix Coyotes center Lauri Korpikoski (28) warms up prior to the game against the Detroit Red Wings at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The sad fact is that this current Coyote’s roster lacks the skill needed to score enough goals in this system. You cannot win 3 on 5 when your defensmen are at center ice. There is no pinch and no commitment outside of a power play which we are in the bottom rung of course. No one goes to the middle or hits on a consistent basis.
Mike Smith is out and so is our playoff hopes. We have a ton of games on the road and have not protected home ice either. Not a whole lot of positives to write about when you lose 6 straight games. I will say that this team is playing better than the up and down team that opened the season. For some reason they just are not burying the puck.
Each play consists of several passes and a turnover. Each power play starts with a face off loss and a quick clear. Every serious push is lost when they dump the puck to the opponent who makes two passes and the other way they go. Timely penalties kill all hopes at times. It is very frustrating to be a fan, get off work, get changed and into Coyote gear, beat traffic and park getting to the game in time for your favorite snacks. Then have your heart ripped out of your chest. Like seeing a movie but 10x the price and in the end every good guy dies and Dustin Brown blows smoke off his machine gun. Roll credits. That sucks.
Jason LaBarbera played well but a few point blank goals left him in no man’s land. Recipe for success is simple: score more than two goals and allow less than three goals.
Pavel Datsyuk played very well and the Red Wings moved the puck with precision. The difference this year over last year is all the forced OTs that got the Coyotes one to two points. Right now zero points is the sad reality.
I feel bad for these guys and the coaching staff. I feel bad for the ushers and every person involved or loving this team and organization. I fear at season’s end they will just fold shop and leave.
We WILL HOWL again! Just not any time soon.