Viva Las Vegas! Coyotes Roll Into Sin City to Take on the First Place Golden Knights
The Arizona Coyotes look to steal a win versus the Pacific Division’s tops team tomorrow night in Las Vegas. Though still technically in the adolescent stages as a newer franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights currently have the rights to the title ‘best team in the desert’.
Vegas which has known nothing but success in their six seasons in the league have spoiled their ‘fan base’ much to the chagrin of the faithful Coyotes fans. Amidst the continuous debate ‘does hockey belong in the desert?’ Coyotes fans have been loyal to a fault, in spite of the hockey world outside of the Copper State’s best attempts to pull the plug.
When I say Vegas ‘fan base’ I mean it in it’s most cynical terms.
Vegas ‘fans’ suck. They annoy the hell out of me. Many of them hang out at the We-Ko-Pa Casino, Fort McDowell, AZ. They get loud and run their mouths like they have been cheering for the team for 20 years.
Fans of the Coyotes know that this has been a franchise on life support for many years. Mismanaged, not managed, not owned, league owned, new owner (each year it seems), and new stadium(s), yet the team still is scratching and clawing for it’s existence.
All the while we got to watch the career of one the greatest players ever, and easily the most classy captain in NHL history, Shane Doan.
It is no wonder that Arizona fans look at Vegas with such distain. They have what we have always wanted; a perennial Stanley Cup contender and NHL destination that lures free agents away from larger markets.
Mark my words ‘Yotes fans, our day is coming. This franchise is finally headed in the right direction. You can feel it watching the team this season. Yes, they are in a rebuild, but they do not have the look of a team that is tanking. The kids are playing like stars. They are hungry.
As I watched the Montreal/Coyotes game last night, it was clear that this team is close to breaking out. Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, and Shane Gostisbehere looked spectacular at times.
Those boys are fast, and they move the puck well. Barrett Hayton is coming along as well. He hasn’t been on the score sheet much this season, but you can’t deny his skill (oh those silky smooth hands).
So what should we expect in this matchup?
Tomorrow when the puck drops we will be facing the number one team in the Western Conference.
On the road.
Vegas has scored 112 goals this season, good for second in the conference. They have allowed 94 goals. The Knights can score, they can hit, they can pretty much do everything well, thus them being the top team in the West. So what does this mean for the Coyotes?
If this were a game against say Boston, or another elite Eastern Conference team I would say we have a real chance at taking them down. A game that typically has ‘trap’ written all over it (meaning they overlook us because of our position in the standings) does not have the same feel with this matchup.
We are neighbors, there aren’t any secrets here. This looks like a matchup between two teams who know each other. The top team in your beer league vs the bottom team. In these games, the top team is usually salivating at the chance to pad their individual stats.
Screw that.
Stay tuned tomorrow when we break down how the Coyotes will win, or how Vegas will roll as the puck drop approaches on game day. Until then, find your nearest Vegas ‘fan” and let ’em know you’re there (loose Paul Newman reference).
Happy Howlin’!