Arizona Coyotes Searching for Positive Play in Dismal Playoff Hunt
It is difficult to find much positive news concerning the state of the woeful Arizona Coyotes as they stand pat and sink slowly in the west.
The Coyotes are already scoreboard watching with 25 games to go. Their lack of victories has put them in a position to watch the rest of the Western Conference and hope that those teams lose while the ‘Yotes try to limp into, or maybe back into, the playoffs in any way then can. Wins would help.
It’s a shame that the Coyotes need to be good, but aren’t, at the very point in their season when they should be trending upward. As of this writing, they are not even worthy of a wild card spot. This is where the “glass is half full” fans chime in with “we’re still in the thick of things,” which is true for now, but not for long unless the Coyotes can compete with and beat the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and the Washington Capitals, who they play this week! Of course, they don’t need to garner all 8 points in those games, but gaining at least four of them would be encouraging, don’t you think?
If the Coyotes’ record continues to dive, the excuses will pile up, with injuries right at the top of the list. “If only” will be the mantra for a while for the less-than-competitive Coyotes. If only Darcy Kuemper were healthy, and/or if only Antti Raanta wasn’t broken all the time, and Phil Kessel and Clayton Keller actually contributed on a consistent basis, it would be a different story.
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What “should be” always conflicts with “what is,” and the Arizona Coyotes should be better. What “is” is that they’re not good enough at this juncture to reach the playoffs unless there’s a miraculous turnaround by the players that have thus far been unable to or uninterested in making a difference. There have been too many “observers” and not enough warriors to get the Coyotes to the promised land.
Look around the Western Conference’s Central Division and see the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks making their moves. Look at the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild begin to stack points. Their fans are buzzing because there’s light at the end of their tunnels.
That tight race doesn’t even include the goings-on in the Pacific Division standings, where the top 5 teams are separated by a mere 4 points. By the way, the Avalanche beat the Wild and Winnipeg beat Chicago Sunday night. Just saying.
The Coyotes can still be relevant in the playoff chase but can’t afford to lose games while their competitors are winning and thus separating themselves from the pack. Maybe things will turn around beginning Monday night in Montreal. Or not. Let’s go Coyotes!