Arizona Coyotes 2014-2015 Preview: Arizona Coyotes vs Washington Capitals

First Shift: Arizona Coyotes vs Washington Capitals, Position by Position

Apr 8, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Nashville Predators head coach Barry Trotz watches his team take on the Dallas Stars during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Predators 3-2 in the overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Howlin’ Hockey: Will the your Offense be better this season? Why or Why Not?

Dave Stevenson: I think that they will look slightly better than last year. They will definitely be more consistent- and hopefully better at even strength- thanks to new head coach Barry Trotz. While the Capitals did lose Mikhail Grabovski, I think a full season from Evgeny Kuznetsov will make up for that loss.

Richard Flores: The Coyotes offense is a little bit of a sore spot for Coyotes fans, especially after the departure of Radim Vrbata. With the former 30 goal scorer gone, the Coyotes will have to hope Sam Gagner likes his change of scenery and puts up career numbers in his first season in the desert.

Max Domi is looking like he’ll make the jump to the NHL this season, though, and could be the ace up the Coyotes sleeve. If he can surprise with some nice double-digit numbers, the team could be in better shape than they appear.

I don’t expect them to be much better than a middle of the pack team offensively; last season, they ranked 20th in goals per game, and I expect a similar number this time around.

HH: What about the Defense?

DS: I think that the Washington Capitals defense will be much better this season- the Caps showed a commitment to improving their defense by signing free agents Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. It should be very interesting to see what Trotz does with the pairings, because the Capitals have five “top 4” caliber defensemen. This is probably the deepest blue line that the Capitals have had since 1998, when they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

“The Capitals showed a commitment to improving their defense by signing free agents Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. It should be very interesting to see what Trotz does with the pairings because the Capitals have five ‘top 4’ caliber defensemen”

RF: I am so excited to see what the Coyotes can do defensively this season. Fans have been waiting what seems like forever to get  a chance to see Brandon Gormley and Connor Murphy  make an impact with the big club, and that will almost certainly come this season. It will take training camp to figure out which player will fit best into the lineup alongside Keith Yandle as the secondary pairing behind studs OEL and Michalek. Murphy seems to possess more offensive talent than Gormley, which would seem to favor Gormley playing alongside Yandle. However, Murphy played most alongside Yandle last season according to Behind the Net- and he’s got a good defensive feel when he needs it.

Last season the Coyotes struggled at times defensively, but i actually expect them to be better as they get back to a more defense-first system.

Second Shift: Facing Off

Nov 9, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Phoenix Coyotes right wing Shane Doan (19) and Washington Capitals defenseman Alexander Urbom (34) fight for the puck during the third period at Jobing.com Arena. The Coyotes defeated the Capitals 4-3 in the overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

HH: The Coyotes and Caps split their season series last season, Will that happen again?

DS: I think it could happen this year because it’s always tough to play the Coyotes at home.

RF: These teams always seem to put on good hockey games and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them split the series again. It will honestly come down to goaltending- but if the goaltender makes or breaks the game, then I like Mike Smith better against tougher competition.

HH: Who has the upper hand in Shootouts between the Coyotes and Capitals?

DS: I don’t think Braden Holtby would be the one in goal for the Caps- his aggressive style of play does not usually play well in shootouts. The Capitals usually sent in the backup goalie for shootouts when Holtby was starting, and I have no idea how good Justin Peters is at shootouts.

On the other hand, the Capitals have several players who are good at shootouts. Also, the Capitals have a wild card: Mitch Korn. Korn is famous for helping develop Hasek, and for solving the enigma that was Tomas Vokoun. Korn could be the best thing to happen to Holtby’s career, as he finally has an accomplished goalie coach.

In the end, however, I think Mike Smith would be more likely to pull off the win. His style of play is better suited for shootouts than Holtby’s.

RF: Shootouts are honestly kind of a crap shoot if you ask me. Going off the numbers from last season, the Caps have the edge in shootouts. They had 10 shootout wins last season, top in the entire NHL. However, in terms of shooting percentage, the teams were essentially even. The Coyotes came in at 32.6 percent while the caps came in at 33.8 percent. The Coyotes also had the edge in shootout save percentage at .673 to .641.

“However in terms of shooting percentage the teams were essentially even. The Coyotes came in at 32.6 percent while the caps came in at 33.8 percent. The Coyotes also had the edge in shootout save percentage at .673 to .641.”

The difference for me though is the loss of Radim Vrbata. He was an absolute joy to watch in shootouts with his patented backhand topshelf move. Boedker could pick up the slack left by Verbie- they both led the team with five shootout goals last season- but i don’t see that happening. I have to give this one to the Caps.

Power Play: Shane Doan vs Alexander Ovechkin

Apr 11, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Alex Ovechkin (8) battles for the puck with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya (27) in the third period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

HH: Which Captain means more to his team?

DS: Shane Doan and Alex Ovechkin are both very good captains, though they have different ways of leading. Doan is the more silent type, who prefers to lead by example and help others around him get better. Ovechkin is the more vocal type, and likes to take on a more hands-on leadership role.

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I think that Ovechkin is more valuable to the Capitals than Doan is to the Coyotes because Ovechkin simply IS the Capitals. Without him, the Capitals would have had a top 5 pick. So much of the Capitals offense revolves around Ovechkin. He has to play at his best for the Capitals to have a good chance at winning. Ovechkin has caught a lot of flack about being a coach killer, but I think if Trotz allows Ovi to be Ovi and not try to force him to be something that he’s not, Ovi will be happy- and a happy Ovi is the best Ovi.

While Doan is a very good player, I can’t say the same thing for him. Doan is also older and might be headed towards retirement sooner rather than later, so I think he is closer to ending his run at captaincy.

RF: I’d take Doaner over Ovechkin in a heartbeat. Ovi will be a hall of famer when his career is over- and he deserves it, because he is one heck of a player- but Shane Doan, to me is the embodiment of what a Captain should be.  He’s loyal to his team, his fans, and his coaches- almost to a fault. He had a chance to leave Arizona- for more money- to play for a Stanley Cup contender. He decided to stay with the Coyotes, though, even with the possibility of relocation hanging over the Coyotes’ heads at the time. He means a lot to the community, and is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

“I’d take Doaner over Ovechkin in a heartbeat. Ovi will be a hall of famer when his career over and he deserves it because he is one heck of a player but Shane Doan to me is the embodiment of what a Captain should be”

At a signing event a few seasons back, I watched Shane take pictures and have conversations with every single fan that asked. His number 19 will hang from the rafters of Gila River Arena once his time in the NHL is up, and he’ll probably go down as the best to ever wear a Coyotes sweater- in addition to his charisma, he has more than 350 career goals, and has played in more than 1300 NHL games.

Going back to last season, I believe that Shane’s health problems early in the season were a huge reason the Coyotes missed the playoffs. Shane was off to one of his best starts ever, scoring 23 points in 27 games, before falling ill with Rocky Mountain Fever. Shane ended up missing a full month of the season and never really recovered- but his locker room presence still kept his team right on the brink of a playoff spot till the bitter end.

Final Shift: Looking at the Stanley Cup

Nov 9, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Phoenix Coyotes right wing Shane Doan (19) checks Washington Capitals right wing Eric Fehr (16) during the third period at Jobing.com Arena. The Coyotes defeated the Capitals 4-3 in the overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

HH: Which team is closer to making a run for the Stanley Cup?

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DS: I think the Capitals are closer to the Cup. They fixed their blue-line problem, and if Braden Holtby gets hot, he’s quite capable of carrying a team deep into the playoffs (remember when he almost single-handedly took a Dale Hunter coached team to the Eastern Conference Finals?). I think they are roughly a year or two away from making a run at the Cup, depending on how next off-season goes for them. If guys like Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson can step up their game, that could speed up the process. Probably the biggest factor will be how quickly Trotz can whip the Capitals at even strength into shape. They’ve been trending in the wrong direction in that category for several years. If the Capitals can get back to be a good puck possession team, they’ll be Cup contenders. The question is, how long is that going to take?

The Coyotes don’t have the forward depth needed to make a run at the Stanley Cup. I really like their blue-liners though. They have some very exciting guys back there (OEL!), and Mike Smith is a very capable goalie. However, in order to make a run at the Cup, as the Kings, Blackhawks, and even the Rangers have proved, you have to be able to dominate possession and score. The Coyotes have struggled to do that away from home.

” If the Capitals can get back to be a good puck possession team, they’ll be Cup contenders. The question is, how long is that going to take?”

Also, the Coyotes have more great teams to overcome (Kings, Blackhawks, Blues, Stars, Ducks, potentially Wild), while the Capitals are in a conference where there are 3 great teams (Pens, Bruins, potentially Lightning and/or Canadiens) and a whole lot of good but not great teams and questionable teams.

Both teams are far from making a run at the Stanley Cup at the moment, but I believe the Capitals are definitely closer.

RF: This is probably the one thing we are going to agree on. The Coyotes offense is lackluster, and it just isn’t going to get them very far this season. That can be overcome if Mike Smith returns to his 2011-12 performance levels, but that’s probably just dreaming. The thing I do love about the Coyotes, though, is how much young talent they have waiting in the wings on both sides of the puck.

Max Domi and Henrik Samuelsson are very close to being NHL ready as forwards, while I’m expecting both Connor Murphy and Brandon Gormley to make the jump to the NHL this season. This is a departure from Coyotes teams of the past, especially under Dave Tippett. During their playoff appearances, the Coyotes relied on players like Ray Whitney, Adrian Aucoin, Rusty Klesla, Derek Morris and- of course- Shane Doan.

“The thing i do love about the Coyotes future is how much young talent they have waiting in the wings on both sides of the puck.”

If their prospects mature like Coyotes fans expect, though, Istill  think a long playoff run is still 2-3 years away.

As far as the Caps go, I  love the hire of Barry Trotz. He implemented a very similar style to the Coyotes in Nashville, and it worked pretty well- so if he can bring that defensive mindset to the Capitals, they could make a run. Holtby is going to have to be stellar in net, though, for that to happen in the next year or two.

So as of right now the Caps are in a better position to make a deep playoff run especially in a weaker Eastern Conference.