The faith in the Coyotes within the locker room
By Jim Lynch
The Arizona Coyotes keep finding a way to get it done on the ice. Whether it be starting strong, or coming back from behind the Coyotes keep finding a way to get things done. One big reason for their success is the belief they have in each other in the locker room.
No matter what the score the Coyotes believe they can come back. This past week they found themselves down 2-0 to the New Jersey Devils. They then came back and answered to win by a score of 5-3. The game against New Jersey was not the only occasion the Coyotes battled back to win.
In Buffalo, the Coyotes found themselves down by a score of 2-0 in the first period. To some teams that might be a hard score to come back from, but that did not stop the ‘Yotes by any means.
Arizona battled back, and it started in the first period when Conor Garland scored to cut the lead in half with a little over a minute left in the game. To say the Coyotes ever lost faith in themselves would be a lie. As Conor Garland said earlier this week, “it didn’t get away from us” and the games have not been getting away from them a lot this season. The Coyotes are a team that keeps thriving on adversity.
It seemed like the Coyotes played the best hockey of the season after losing Niklas Hjalmarsson to an injury earlier this year. The team keeps finding reasons to come together and play as a team now more than ever.
The Coyotes are not a team built on one or two stars. When you look at the Edmonton Oilers or Pittsburgh Penguins you know who will be out to score a goal late in the game. Teams like the Oilers or Penguins rely on players like McDavid or Crosby. The great thing about the Coyotes is they rely on each other.
Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson talked about a different feeling in the locker room this past week. The team is rolling, and it is going to be a fun year. Understanding why a team is hot sometimes is simpler then you think. It is all about confidence.
The Coyotes are confident, and they believe in each other, no matter who puts on the Coyotes jersey we all can watch knowing the best possible Coyotes team will be on the ice.
it goes further than just the guys skating up and down the ice. The two Coyotes goalies believe in each other. We have spent a lot of time talking about the rivalry between Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper, but between the two of them, there appears to be no rivalry.
Kuemper and Raanta are supporting each other all night long, wanting to see the other succeed. I will say I think the Coyotes have the best goalie tandem in the NHL. No matter who is in net for the ‘Yotes the team has a chance to succeed, and that is a good thing.
The Coyotes belief in each other will carry them far this year, let’s all sit back and believe in this team too.