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Arizona Coyotes Pack Mentality Is Back – So Is Mike Smith

By William Grigsby

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If you were here in Arizona during the 2011-12 season, you remember that the Arizona Coyotes did quite well.

Well enough in fact to get past the Nashville Preds AND the Chicago Blackhawks on their way to a Western Conference Finals appearance. Their run stopped there, complements of the L.A. Kings.

When one goes back to analyze that team, some obvious things float to the top. Good defense, outstanding goaltending, and just enough offense to win close games. It was a formula for success, and granted this season is only a couple games old, but this team, this edition of the Arizona Coyotes is showing some of those qualities – amend that… ALL of those qualities.

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There are still predictors who are stubborn enough to claim this team has no scoring, or their defense is weak, or Mike Smith is washed up. They even maintain in their pre-season prognostication that the Arizona Coyotes will finish dead last in 30th place this season.

Let’s review. They beat two tough teams, (not chump teams) so far this season. They made the Los Angeles Kings look like the Coyotes of last season in a decisive 4-1 thumping. And, the goalie that was described as “washed up” stopped 41 shots, standing on his head for some of them. Even the one goal which the Kings were able to score almost didn’t happen, when Smith made as acrobatic a save as any Vezina trophy winning goalie might have made. But, the rebound was an easy put-in for Tyler Toffoli.

This season, Mike Smith is focused and very competitive. In game two, the world class Pittsburgh Penguins came to town hungry for a win, just like the Kings were after the Sharks ate them alive 5-1. They were denied time and time again by Mike Smith’s stellar performance, and an excellent defense.

Not only is Smitty competitive he is not going to take opposing players crashing into his crease lightly. Pens’ Patric Hornqvist found that out real quick. When Hornqvist knocked team-mate Brad Richardson into Smith, causing him to remain down for a scary bit of time, Smith got his number for future reference.

In the second period there was Patric Hornqvist again whacking his stick on top of the net-minder’s stick, causing havoc. Well, Smith handled it well by whacking the forward’s stick into the air. The crowd loved it.

When a team can hold Sidney Crosby to NO shots, and make him insignificant, the defense must be commended. NIcklas Grossmann has been strong in both games, shutting down any threats in the Arizona Coyotes’ zone. Even with Zbynek Michalek being scratched due to an upper body injury, his replacement Stefan Elliott played well to fortify the defense. Michalek’s shot blocking was missed, but even Connor Murphy blocked a shot, which could be heard all over the arena.

The “D” was outstanding, and deserves some recognition.

The second line of Hanzal, Rieder, and Duclair has been very productive with eight points (2g, 6a) on six goals the team has registered this new season.

Oct 10, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes center Tobias Rieder (8) battles for position against Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) in the second period during the home opener at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

So, following the formula, the offense was good enough to get a win. Toby Rieder scored his second goal of this young season on as pretty a feed from behind the net as you will see from a seasoned veteran, except it was from Anthony “Tony D” Duclair, playing in just his 20th NHL game.

That was followed up by the winning tally from Jordan Martinook in a scuffle in front of the Pens’ net. Martinook stuck with the play, and the whistle never was blown, so he kept digging the puck out until he was able to plant it behind Pen’s goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who was forced to make 37 saves.

Good defense, outstanding goaltending, and enough offense to win. The formula seems to work, now the Arizona Coyotes need to continue using it to succeed, and make the prognosticators eat their words.

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