Adam’s Three Keys to the Coyotes Season Opener
By Adam Pierce
This is it people, we are just about twenty four hours until the season starts for our beloved Arizona Coyotes. After barely missing the playoffs last season, our team is back and hungrier than ever. The road to Lord Stanley’s Cup starts now. With that being said, our boys need to keep calm and essentially take the season one game at a time. It all starts with game number one. The Winnipeg Jets come in to Gila River Arena looking to start their 2014-2015 season with a win but there is a pack of Desert Dogs who see otherwise. Here are my three keys to the season opener against the Winnipeg Jets.
1) Screens, Screens, Screens:
This goes both ways, offensively and defensively. On the defensive side of the puck, defenders need to clear the crease. If Mike Smith can see the shot, there is a good chance that he will stop it. Take away his vision and that will be a different story. Now the opposite goes for the attacking zone. The Coyotes need a presence in front of Pavelec early on to set the tone. Throw Martin Hanzal in front of the net, rip a shot from the point with Yandle, and let the goal horn sound. Tipped pucks and deflections are a goalie’s worst nightmare.
2) Let The New Guys Play In Their Role:
I’m talking about Sam Gagner, Joe Vitale, B.J. Crombeen, and Justin Hodgman. While these guys won’t play on the top line for the opener, they will contribute to the depth of this squad. This is their first regular season game in a Coyotes sweater so if they can hit the learning curve early, the team will prosper. This is all about finding their role and sticking to it, no matter what line they are playing on.
3) Feed Off The Energy Of Gila River Arena:
New name, same home. Gila River Arena will be a packed house Thursday night against the Jets and the Glendale area is ready to cheer on their team. Keep in mind, the snow birds from Winnipeg will make an appearance as well but they will easily be drowned out with howling fans and the “Let’s Go Coy-Yotes” cheer. This game is the hottest ticket in town and the fans know it. While some people think home ice advantage is a myth, the players think otherwise. The players will harness the energy of the crowd and implement it to their style of play. Expect harder hits and the occasional “dangle, snipe, celly” to pump the crowd up and get them off their feet.