Let them eat fists! The Phoenix Coyotes are hosting pseudo royalty as for the second time in less than week, they take on the LA Kings. If the last game is any indicator, it’s gonna be a good one. Not only did we get all kinds of slugfests, including Captain Coyote Shane Doan taking on Dustin Brown, we walk away with 2 points and a shut out. Who says fighting doesn’t belong in hockey? I say fight on if it yields those kinds of results.
The question is, will tonight’s rematch be more of the same? With some key players out on injury/family illness like Derek Morris, Kyle Chipchura (who has been a major force for the team lately) and Taylor Pyatt, the Coyotes may just be more focused on stealing another 2 from our Pacific rival instead of mixing it up. Time is short to playoffs and so are the points. Let’s just keep Radim Vrbata healthy and out of the mix, you don’t mess with a streaking scorer. That signed stick I have of his is increasing in value these days.
On the other hand showing a strong physical presence early on could weaken the already frustrated, deflated Kings. Still scoreless since February 12th, the team’s confidence cannot be high. And they may just be frustrated enough to come out swinging…literally. Out for blood and a point or two is my guess with Phoenix currently sitting in the 7th spot while LA rests at the not so enviable 9th spot in the West. Since just two points separate the two teams, unsteady as she goes for tonight..
So what do the the Coyotes do? This is a no brainer but defense is going to be crucial. The Kings will be aggressively seeking to score and end their drought. Other than that I think Raffi Torres summed it up best on the Coyotes official website, “We’ve just got to be ready to go.”