The Tampa Bay Lightning crushed the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night 9 to 2 and have won 8 straight games. Can the Coyotes slow them down?
It would sure be nice if Coyotes’ defender Niklas Hjarlmasson was able to play against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. For that matter, it would be even greater for Darcy Kuemper or Antti Raanta to start the game completely rested and healthy.
The circumstances are what they are, however, and “woulda coulda shoulda” will go head-to-head with “what is” at puck drop tomorrow night. Specifically, the “what is” are these facts: The Lightning have won 8 games in a row, pummeled the Vancouver Canucks 9 to 2 on Tuesday night (after the Canucks scored the first goal of the game), and play at home against the ‘Yotes on Thursday night. From the Coyotes’ perspective, can you say “challenging”?
Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Victor Hedman all have 40 or more points on the season thus far, and Hedman is a defenseman.
It is evident that the Coyotes must duplicate Tuesday night’s effort in Sunrise, Florida, on Thursday night in Tampa. What saved the desert dogs against the Panthers was the ability of the ‘Yotes’ attackers to consistently backcheck to help their blue liners and Adin Hill defend the house. Otherwise the defensive corp would have been routinely outnumbered in the “D” zone by the “north and south” oriented Panthers.
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Likewise, the Coyotes will most likely rotate their lines more frequently via short shifts, allowing the on-ice skaters more rest and thus more energy when they return to the ice.
Minimizing the time that they possessed the puck in their “D” zone against the Panthers paid dividends for the Coyotes by allowing them to relieve pressure in the back and create pressure for the home team up front. The ‘Yotes will have to use that tactic again Thursday to create scoring opportunities for themselves.
By gaining and retaining possession of the puck in their “O” zone, the men in white can be dangerous and wreak havoc on Mr. Hedman and his cronies while keeping the puck away from the talented attackers of the Lightning.
Defeating the streaking Tampa Bay Lightning in their own building will take a monumental effort, but the Coyotes have the men and the ability to do it. With a victory under his belt, perhaps Adin Hill will look and play as calmly as he appeared to do on Tuesday, even as he and the “D” men were being barraged with shots taken by the Florida Panthers.
The game in Tampa will be fun to watch and, at least for me, nerve-wracking as heck at the same time. Let’s go Coyotes!