Arizona Coyotes Captions: Devils Take Howl Out Of Coyotes

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Mar 14, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes right wing B.J. Crombeen (44) and New Jersey Devils right wing Jordin Tootoo (20) fight as goalie Mike Smith (41), NHL linesman Shane Heyer (55) and linesman Mark Shewchyk (92) look on in the first period at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

” Listen Tootoo.. when my goalie says stay out of his trapezoid, he means it!” – B.J. Crombeen, Arizona Coyotes Right Wing (and enforcer)

Actually, Jordin Tootoo had a respectable game recording a goal and an assist. He riled Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith by crashing into him in the trapezoid behind the net. B.J. Crombeen, defending his teammate and doing his job as the team enforcer, engaged Tootoo in some fisticuffs after he attempted to bulldoze his way through Mike Smith. He collected a roughing penalty, as well as a fighting major for his efforts.

I suspect Mike Smith’s patience level is decreasing with each loss. He does have a fiery edge to him at times, and always likes to roam out of his net to retrieve loose pucks like he’s a defenseman. Sometimes he will run into some interference back there, and this time he had enough.

During the previous game against the Blackhawks Smitty lost his cookies when a Hawks player was pushed into his blue painted crease, and he pummeled away in retaliation. His head was down, and he didn’t see that the Hawk’s player was pushed into his crease, and it cost him a roughing penalty.

I can only surmise that the Coyotes will continue to go with the premise that Mike Smith is their guy in between the pipes, but it’s beginning to appear that they made a vital mistake on his contract. I myself am of the belief that Smith had one incredible season, which before that time he showed no indication that he had that in him.

The Coyotes went along with the idea that he brought them to the promise land, and gifted him a hefty contract amounting to insane money totaling $5.67 M a year for six years.

Will his lack of performance mean the team will consider dumping his contract much like they decided to do with Mike Ribeiro? I doubt they afford that. Even with new majority owner Andrew Barroway, throwing away that much money with nothing in return is financial suicide.

Then again, you can’t trade Smith… not now when his worth is falling faster than a comet in the western sky. If the team is “married” to Smith, it may not turn out too delightful for either the team or Mike Smith. There are a couple of goalie prospects the team may entertain taking a closer look at, like Mark Visentin, and Louie Domingue who may be able to step in to replace Smith.

One only needs to look at the numbers to see something needs to change…

The Coyotes’ team goals-against average from 2011-2014:

2011-12 2.37 (5th)

2012 (lockout season) 2.60 (15th)

2013-14 2.73 (18th)

2014-15 3.33 (28th)

I don’t have the solution for what to do about Mike Smith. I think the team learned a valuable lesson that you need to see constant, excellent performance (not just one season) to reward a mega-contract as they did. When the Arizona Coyotes traded Devan Dubnyk away to Minnesota it was more out of respect to Mike Smith, and giving him the chance to redeem himself — so far that hasn’t been the case.

Dubnyk has merely gone on to get the Wild back in the playoff hunt with an astounding 19-5-1 record, including a .937 SV%, and a 1.69 GAA, something Mike Smith can only dream about. All in all, next season should be more exciting than a James Bond movie, and bring your popcorn — this could be good!

Next: Arizona Coyotes Fall In Homestand Finale 4-1 To Devils

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