NHL: Nun also doch: Lisin zurück nach Russland!

30.11.2006 von Coyote.

Was zuerst nur Gerüchte waren ist nun bittere Realität. Enver Lisin ist nicht wie erhofft in die AHL zu San Antonio gegangen sondern hat sich in den Flieger Richtung Heimat gesetzt - und kehrte damit zurück zu AK Bars Kazan. Ob das schon das Ende für die NHL-Karriere von Lisin ist? Er wird wohl die restliche Saison in Russland verbringen - eine Rückkehr nach Phoenix ist damit mehr als fraglich. Sehr schade das Ganze, jedoch passt es irgendwie in das Bild der Coyoten in dieser Saison. Wenn du denkst es kommt nicht schlimmer usw.

Hier die Artikel + kleiner Ausblick auf das Spiel gegen Los Angeles heute. JR wird dafür ausfallen (hey, da ist doch ein Rosterspot frei für… ).

Lisin leaves after demotion

David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 30, 2006 12:00 AM

Rookie Enver Lisin, whom the Coyotes demoted to their top affiliate in San Antonio on Monday after 17 games, refused the assignment and has flown back to his native Russia to play, presumably for the rest of the season and perhaps beyond.

In response, Phoenix on Wednesday suspended Lisin indefinitely, thus it does not have to pay him his remaining salary.

Sources indicated Lisin, 20, returned to Russia mostly because he was homesick, especially after a recent visit to the Valley by his father. Lisin left for Russia with his father and is expected to play for Ak Bars Kazan of the Russian league.

Lisin likely would have stayed in North America had he not been demoted, but the Coyotes wanted him to develop his defensive skills in the American Hockey League for a while.

Lisin scored one goal and was a minus-18 for Phoenix.

“We are very disappointed in Enver’s decision to not report to the San Antonio Rampage,” Coyotes General Manager Mike Barnett said. ” . . . We waited two full years after drafting him before bringing him over (to North America). We were conscious of not wanting to rush him. It’s not always easy for young players from those countries to adapt to life in America, particularly if it calls for time in the minors. But going there and learning the game is part of being a pro and paying the price. He left us no choice but to suspend him at this time.”

By suspending Lisin, the Coyotes preserve their rights to him.

“If he wants to come back to the NHL at any point in time, the road leads through Phoenix,” Barnett said.

Lisin informed the Coyotes he was going back to Russia through a third party.

The Coyotes traded up to select Lisin with the 50th overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft, and signed him to a three-year contract on June 1.

Tellqvist arrives
Goalie Mikael Tellqvist arrived in Phoenix on Wednesday and will be in uniform tonight vs. Los Angeles at Jobing.com Arena.

The Coyotes acquired Tellqvist from Toronto on Tuesday for Tyson Nash and a fourth-round draft choice in 2007.

Coach Wayne Gretzky said Tellqvist likely wouldn’t play in a game for a week or so.

Tellqvist, who has been Toronto’s third-string goalie for most of the season, said he’s ready to play.

“I’m anxious,” Tellqvist said. “Obviously I know Curtis (Joseph) is the No. 1 guy, but I’m pumped. . . . I’m going to enjoy not being under the microscope in Toronto, but . . . I know I have to do the same job here as I did in Toronto.”

Ice chips
Gretzky said former backup goalie Mike Morrison soon would be reassigned from San Antonio to the Phoenix RoadRunners of the (ECHL) to work on his game and confidence.

• Barring a last-minute recovery from an upper respiratory illness, center Jeremy Roenick will not play tonight.

Tonight’s game
Kings at Coyotes
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Jobing.com Arena.
TV/radio: FSNAZ/KDUS-AM (1060).

Kings update: Los Angeles has won two consecutive games, and has beaten Phoenix two out of three times this season. Left wing Alexander Frolov has 11 goals and 18 points in the past 13 games. Center Anze Kopitar led all NHL rookies with 23 points before Wednesday’s games. Backup goalie Mathieu Garon is expected to get a fourth consecutive start tonight in place of struggling starter Dan Cloutier.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1130yotesnb1130.html

Coyotes Suspend Lisin

GLENDALE, AZ — Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Michael Barnett announced today that the Coyotes have suspended right wing Enver Lisin. Lisin was assigned to the San Antonio Rampage (AHL) on November 27 but failed to report. Instead, Lisin returned to Russia where he is expected to play for Ak Bars Kazan in the Russian League.

“We are very disappointed in Enver’s decision to not report to the San Antonio Rampage,” said Barnett. “We fully expected him to honor his contract, thus we have no choice but to suspend him as a result of his actions.”

Lisin, 20, has registered 1-1-2 and 16 penalty minutes (PIM) in 17 games with the Coyotes this season. The native of Moscow, Russia was recalled by the Coyotes from San Antonio on October 12 and made his NHL debut on October 14 versus Nashville. Lisin scored his first NHL goal in a 6-4 Coyotes’ win over Los Angeles on November 4.

In 2 AHL games with San Antonio this season, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward has recorded 2-0-2 and 4 PIM.

The Coyotes selected Lisin in the 2nd round (50th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Quelle: http://www.sarampage.com/lisin_061129.shtml

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GFHL: Ducks kein Stolperstein - Vaananen verletzt

30.11.2006 von Coyote.

Die Siegesserie der Coyoten in der GFHL geht weiter. Die Ducks aus Anaheim stellten dabei keinen Stolperstein dar, wurden, nach 0:1 Rückstand, mit 5:1 klar besiegt.

Gerade im Powerplay war man den Ducks überlegen. Drei der Fünf Treffer fielen im Powerplay. Beide Teams leisteten sich einige Nicklichkeiten, das Groß der Strafen wurde jedoch für die Ducks verhängt. Trauriger Höhepunkt im ersten Drittel war dann auch die Verletzung von Yotes-Defender Ossi Vaananen. Nach einem Angriff der Ducks blieb Vaananen plötzlich auf dem Eis zurück. Vaananen verdrehte sich bei einem nicht geahndeten Foul von Eric Cairns, der zurecht nach dem Spiel vom Management der Ducks zurück in die GMHL geschickt wurde, das Knie, fällt die nächsten Spiele damit aus. Für ihn wird Dennis Seidenberg ins Lineup rutschen.

GM Bendel meinte nach dem Spiel, dass die Ducks mehr auf ihren GM hören sollten. “Es kann nicht im Interesse von Anaheim sein, Spiele durch Verletzungen des Gegners zu gewinnen. Der GM der Ducks ist ja auch kein Inkompetenzbolzen, er weiß, dass man Spiele nicht auf der Strafbank gewinnt. Das wissen auch die Trainer. Nur scheinbar wissen das einige Spieler noch nicht. Sie verwechseln da wohl vollen Einsatz mit blanker Brutalität. Das passt nicht zu den Ducks!”

Besser mit den Strafen wurde es erst, als Nick Boynton mit Derek Roy das Eis wischte. Diese Nachricht schienen die Spieler der Ducks verstanden zu haben.

Die Tore für die Coyoten erzielten Zbynek Michalek (Morris, Handzus), der sein erstes GFHL-Tor erzielen konnte, Handzus (Boynton, Comrie) im Powerplay, Comrie (Doan, Johnson) im Powerplay sowie Isbister (Morrison, Sjostrom) und Nagy (Reinprecht, Zubov) im Powerplay. Im Tor zeigte Kari Lehtonen erneut, dass die Zukunft im Tor der Coyoten ihm gehören wird. Der Finne entschärfte 19 von 20 Schüssen.

Boxscore

Das nächste Spiel der Coyoten ist am Samstag. Gegner werden dann die Dallas Stars sein, ein angeknockter Gegner also den man absolut nicht unterschätzen darf.

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NHL: Artikel über Yanic Perreault

29.11.2006 von Coyote.

Von TSN.ca kommt ein guter Artikel über Yanic Perreault. Es geht darin um seine Situation in Phoenix, seine Entscheidung nach Phoenix zu kommen und warum er einer der wenigen Lichtblicke der Yotes in dieser Saison ist.

Hier der Artikel:

Perreault finds groove in Phoenix

Canadian Press

11/28/2006 5:53:23 PM

(CP) - As the Phoenix Coyotes try to find a way to turn around a season gone horribly wrong, Yanic Perreault has been a godsend.

The former Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs centre leads the Coyotes with seven goals in 11 games - half the games his new teammates have played.

“It’s a been a good fit,” Perreault said this week from Phoenix. “They gave me good ice time right away. They showed pretty good confidence in me and made me feel good.

“I’ve tried to do the same thing every year, win faceoffs, create some things offensively and be reliable in my own end.”

The 35-year-old native of Sherbrooke, Que., has 10 points overall since signing a US$700,000, one-year deal on Oct. 29 and leads the NHL with a 61 per cent success rate in the faceoff circle - his trademark.

“His reputation for his prowess in the faceoff circle and creating scoring opportunities on the power play preceded him,” Coyotes GM Mike Barnett said Tuesday. “He’s been all of that and more for us since his arrival here in Phoenix.”

And yet, despite decent second-line numbers wherever he’s gone - he’s essentially a 50-point guy - respect seems to be a fleeting thing for Perreault.

Click on his name on NHL.com and you’ll see him wearing a Canadiens uniform - the team he last played for three years ago.

He’s the kind of player that just continues to slip under the radar.

“I’ll never be a spectacular player who’s going to take the puck from end to end,” said Perreault. “I just try to do the little things. When I score a goal I don’t jump into the boards, I don’t show much emotion I guess.

“I suppose it would help me maybe if I did show a little emotion but I’ve always been like that.”

One can’t even find him in Nashville’s media guide last season because as a training camp invite he wasn’t signed until after the guide was published.

For a bargain-basement $525,000, he went out and had a career-high 57 points (22-35) for the Predators last season while of course leading the NHL with a 62 per cent success rate in the faceoff circle.

“I went to Nashville last year and I did everything I told them I was going to do,” said Perreault. “But they wanted to get bigger up front and that’s why they signed Jason Arnott and Josef Vasicek.”

As the Predators eventually made it clear they weren’t going to re-sign him, Perreault drifted into free agency last summer.

But contrary to the widely held perception that nobody wanted him until Phoenix called in October, his phone did indeed ring in July and August but he told teams he wanted to wait until his abdominal issues were settled.

“I wanted to be 100 per cent before I signed somewhere,” said Perreault. “I played many months last year in Nashville with the injury and it’s no fun. Every time I stepped on the ice it would take me 15-20 minutes just to get warmed up and there was still pain. So my main goal was to get healthy, which is why I signed so late.

“We had offers in the summer time but I told my agent Pat Brisson in August that I might as well wait until I got healthy because I would miss training camp any way.”

He was hoping his abdominal issues would just go away in the summer but they didn’t so he had surgery to fix the sports hernia in August.

It was the right call.

“I feel so much better now, I’m glad I got the surgery done,” he said. “Now I can play pain-free and 100 per cent.”

The Chicago Blackhawks were put in a serious offer but he felt the Coyotes were a better fit.

“I played with the Phoenix Roadrunners when they used to be the farm team of the L.A. Kings back in ‘94,” said Perreault. “So I knew the area and knew it wouldn’t take long to adjust to the city and the area. I’ve had a place here all these years so that made it even easier. I’ve always loved the area.

“It was easier for me and my family (four kids) to come here.”

The chance to play for Wayne Gretzky was no small factor as well.

“I was fortunate to play two years with Wayne in L.A.,” said Perreault. “I knew him and I’m fortunate now to have him as a coach.”

Now if only the Coyotes could win a few more games.

They’re currently last in the Pacific Division at 8-15-0.

“It’s more fun when you win but I think we’ve played better the last 10 games (5-5-0) and we’ve won two of our last three,” said Perreault. “Let’s hope we can turn this thing around.

“I’m still having fun playing the game and as long as that’s the case I’ll keep going. And hopefully with Phoenix.”

Maybe he’ll even make their media guide next year.

Quelle: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=186279&hubname=nhl

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GFHL: Auch Columbus stoppt Coyoten nicht!

29.11.2006 von Coyote.

Die Phoenix Coyotes konnten in der GFHL bei den Columbus Blue Jackets den nun schon sechsten Sieg in Folge einfahren und schob sich mit dem 5:3 auf Platz 1 der Western Conference und auf Platz 3 der Gesamttabelle. Entschieden wurde das Spiel diesmal jedoch erst im Schlussdrittel. Nach dem ersten Abschnitt führte man zwar dank Ladislav Nagy (Morris, Zubov) mit 1:0, doch im Mitteldrittel wehrten sich die Jackets mehr als den Coyotes lieb war. In Unterzahl musste man den Ausgleich hinnehmen - doch kurz darauf konnte man, wieder in Unterzahl, dank Brendan Morrison (Boynton. Lehtinen) zurückschlagen. Kurz vor Ende des Drittel konnten die Jackets trotzdem wieder ausgleichen, das letzte Drittel begann also quasi bei 0.

Doch im Schlussabschnitt drehten die Coyoten auf, gewannen dieses Drittel dank Toren von Nagy (Reinprecht, Morrison) und Brind’Amour (Morrison, Sjostrom) im Powerplay sowie nach dem zwischenzeitlichen 4:3 für Columbus, durch Patrik Elias (Doan, Boynton) mit 3:1.

Für eine Boxeinlage sorgten unterdessen Ossi Vaananen und Chris Clark. Der Sieger kam klar aus Phoenix, Clark musste jedoch mit einer Platzwunde das Eis verlassen - und somit auch Vaananen.

Heute geht es für die Coyoten gegen die Ducks, die in der letzten Saison noch “Mighty” waren, zuletzt jedoch eher als Kloppertruppe von sich reden machte. Es könnte also ein ganz heißer Tanz werden.

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NHL: Lundqvist kommt für Nash - Boynton fällt 3 Wochen aus!

29.11.2006 von Coyote.

Nun also doch: David LeNeveu wurde heute in die AHL zurück geschickt. Der Grund? Die Coyoten verpflichteten von den Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie Mikael Tellqvist. Dafür geht Tyson Nash und ein 4th Round Draftpick nach Toronto. Nash will seine NHL-Karriere in Toronto fortsetzen, wurde aber schon in die AHL geschickt. Viel Glück in Toronto, Tyson Nash.

Mikael Tellqvist unterdessen ist damit der Backup von CuJo. Seine Stats von Hockeydb.com gibt es hier.

Wie zudem bekannt urde wird Nick Boynton den Coyoten mindestens 3 Wochen fehlen. Boynton spielte seit dem 9. November mit einem gebrochenem linken Fuss und muss nun wirklich pausieren. Gute Besserung, Nick.

Hier der aktuelle Artikel von AZCentral.com:

Coyotes get goalie Tellqvist

David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 29, 2006 12:00 AM

After weeks of searching for goaltending help, the Coyotes on Tuesday acquired Mikael Tellqvist from the Toronto Maple Leafs for right wing Tyson Nash and a fourth-round draft choice in 2007.

A few hours after the trade was completed, Phoenix officially made Tellqvist Curtis Joseph’s backup by assigning David LeNeveu to its top affiliate in San Antonio.

“Curtis is our No. 1 goaltender, but we needed to find a proven NHL netminder who could provide him with some support,” coach Wayne Gretzky said.

Tellqvist, 27, has a 16-16-2 record and 3.01 goals-against average in 40 NHL games, all with Toronto in the past four seasons. After playing 25 games for the Leafs in 2005-06, Tellqvist lost the backup job to J.S. Aubin late last season and has spent most of this season in the American Hockey League.

“I’m really excited,” Tellqvist said about the deal. “As soon as I heard the news I was jumping up and down in my apartment. It’s going to be a great chance for me to go and play more games than I have this year.”

Nash, 31, has played the entire season for San Antonio after not earning a roster spot with the Coyotes in training camp. Sensing he would spend the entire season in San Antonio, Nash, who posted three goals and 11 assists in 119 games with Phoenix, called General Manager Mike Barnett on Monday and asked him to consider recalling him to the Coyotes so he could be claimed off re-entry waivers by another team.

Nash was ecstatic about the deal, which he learned about via the media after Tuesday’s practice in San Antonio.

“Let’s put it this way, it’s been very hard on me to put on a jersey for a team that you know doesn’t want you,” Nash said. “That’s what I’ve been struggling with every day… At least now I’m with an organization that wants me and is going to give me a chance. As far as leaving the Coyotes, I had a great time there. … But my career is what is most important to me right now. I just want another shot at the NHL.”

Nash will have to wait; Toronto assigned him to its top affiliate in the AHL.

Boynton to miss 3 weeks
Defenseman Nick Boynton expects to be sidelined for at least three weeks because of a fractured bone in his left foot.

Boynton suffered the injury when struck by a shot during a game against Dallas on Nov. 9.

Boynton kept playing, but the foot didn’t heal. X-rays taken Monday revealed the fractured bone.

Surgery is not necessary.

The Coyotes recalled defenseman Travis Roche from San Antonio on Tuesday to replace Boynton.

Roenick ill
Center Jeremy Roenick missed practice on Monday and Tuesday because of an upper respiratory illness that Gretzky said likely will keep Roenick out of Thursday’s game.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1129yotesnb1129.html

Mikael Tellqvist

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NHL: Lisin in die AHL, Reinprecht und Comrie auf dem Eis!

28.11.2006 von Coyote.

Es tut sich was im Roster der Coyoten. Enver Lisin wurde in die AHL zurück geschickt - er soll dort mehr Erfahrung sammeln als das in der NHL bislang möglich war. Hoffentlich gewöhnt sich Lisin in der AHL schnell ein und punktet dann auch fleissig.

Unterdessen standen mit Mike Comrie und Steve Reinprecht wieder auf dem Eis. Comrie dürfte wohl auch der Grund sein, warum Lisin in die AHL muss, immerhin *könnte* Comrie eventuell schon am Donenrstag wieder auf dem Eis stehen. Reinprecht wird wohl erst nach dem All-Star Game im Februar wieder dabei sein.

Ladislav Nagy dagegen wird am Donnerstag wieder spielen dürfen. Hoffentlich kam die Nachricht wirklich bei ihm an.

Hier der aktuelle Artikel von AZCentral.com:

Comrie, Reinprecht back on ice

David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 27, 2006 10:42 PM

Centers Mike Comrie and Steven Reinprecht skated Monday for the first time since being injured in separate games earlier this season.

Comrie is rehabbing a fractured bone in his right foot, and Reinprecht is nursing a broken right clavicle.

The pair spent about 45 minutes skating and passing the puck on an adjacent sheet of ice while their healthy teammates practiced on another sheet at the Alltel Ice Den in Scottsdale.

Though not likely, Comrie might play Thursday vs. Los Angeles or Monday vs. Nashville.

“I’d like to play as soon as possible, but I have to be realistic, too,” said Comrie, who has four goals and seven assists in 13 games. “Having a screw put in (the foot), it’s a little sore. But it’s a pain that I can manage.”

Reinprecht (one goal, four assists, five games) said he probably wouldn’t play in a game for at least five more weeks.

“I don’t have any (return) dates circled,” Reinprecht said, adding that early to mid-January remains his target.

Unlike Comrie, Reinprecht did not shoot the puck Monday.

“We just have to be careful with him,” head athletic therapist Chris Broadhurst said. “What we don’t want is him to lose balance and fall into the boards, so he’s not doing anything aggressive.”

Nagy back in lineup
Coach Wayne Gretzky said left wing Ladislav Nagy would be back in the lineup on Thursday after a one-game benching last week.

“He has to be physically and mentally stronger, but it’s over and done with,” Gretzky said. “He’ll play Thursday and hopefully he has a great game.”

Asked Monday what he is taking away from being benched, Nagy smiled and said, “Next question.”

Lisin demoted
Rookie forward Enver Lisin was demoted to the team’s top affiliate in San Antonio after Monday’s practice.

Lisin wowed Gretzky and the staff with his speed and offensive skills in the first few games he played, but he gradually became a defensive liability.

Lisin was minus-18 in 17 games.

The Coyotes are hopeful Lisin, 20, does not approach them about returning to his native Russia to play.

Goalie update
Gretzky said goalie Curtis Joseph would start Thursday and probably Monday, too.

General Manager Mike Barnett said backup goalie David LeNeveu has handled his reduced playing time with class.

“David is an experienced pro,” Barnett said. “He’s dealt with the adversity admirably by working hard in practice and studying films. There’s an old saying: ‘Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.’

“David is still young. There’ll be better days ahead for him.”

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1127yotesnb1128.html

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NHL: Nagy sieht den Fehler ein!

27.11.2006 von Coyote.

Das sind doch mal gute Nachrichten. Ladislav Nagy hat laut seinem Agenten den Fehler im Spiel eingesehen und die Entschiedung, ein Spiel auszusetzen akzeptiert. Nun kann man nur hoffen, dass er es auf dem Eis auch zeigt, dass die Nachricht ankam.

In der vergangenen Saison gab es schon einmal eine ähnliche Situation - damals jedoch mit Mike Comrie, der nach seiner Zwangsversetzung auf die Bank auch wieder mehr auf dem Eis zeigte.

Nachwuchsgoalie Josh Tordjman wird dagegen vorerst in der AHL bleiben um sich an das Spiel noch mehr zu gewöhnen. Damit kann David LeNeveu wohl doch noch einmal zeigen was er drauf hat. Ich persönlich würde es LeNeveu gönnen, wenn er sich im Tor der Yotes durchsetzen würde.

Hier der Artikel von AZCentral.com:

Nagy recognizes his mistake

David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 27, 2006 12:00 AM

Message received.

That was the response from left wing Ladislav Nagy, via his agent on Sunday, one day after coach Wayne Gretzky benched Nagy for a game as punishment for his lackadaisical effort during a power play vs. Minnesota on Friday.

The Wild scored a short-handed goal seconds after Nagy lost control of the puck and left the ice.

Nagy was scratched from Saturday’s game vs. St. Louis, which the Coyotes won 2-1.

“There are no long-term issues here at all,” said Matt Keator, Nagy’s agent. “He knows he made a mistake, and I know he talked to Wayne about it. It’s not a problem. With where they are in the standings right now, everybody needs to be held accountable. It just so happens it was Ladi’s turn. He made a mistake, and they’re holding him accountable. That’s what good teams do.”

The Coyotes don’t play another game until Thursday, and they did not practice Sunday.

“We expect Ladi to bring an attitude to practice this week,” General Manager Mike Barnett said Sunday. “By that I don’t mean either a negative or complacent one, rather a committed, focused and hungry one. He has the ability to inspire people when he plays inspired.”

Tordjman update
Goaltending prospect Josh Tordjman, who is 2-3 with a 2.58 goals-against average for the team’s top affiliate in San Antonio, likely will stay there for a while.

“The American Hockey League is a big jump for Tordjman, but he has handled it well to this point in a very limited number of games,” Barnett said. “He’s building a pro foundation to his game right now, both structurally and mentally. We might set back the process by rushing him into the NHL. There have been a few others who have fast-tracked it, but it’s not the norm. We will continue to monitor his progress. Ideally, he’s where he belongs right now.”

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1127yotesnb1127.html

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NHL: Sieg in St. Louis!

26.11.2006 von Coyote.

Na also, da hat sich aber jemand am Riemen gerissen: in St. Louis kamen die Coyoten dank Toren von Owen Nolan und Yanic Perreault zu einem 2:1 Sieg.

Die Coyoten spielten überraschend ohne Ladislav Nagy, der von Coach Gretzky auf die Bank verbannt wurde. Gretzky will damit ein Zeichen setzen für das Team - auf gut Deutsch: sie sollen sich auf dem Eis den Ar… aufreissen. Näheres im Artikel von AZCentral in der “Presseschau”.

ESPN: Boxscore Recap

Das schreibt AZCentral.com:

Joseph stellar in ‘Yotes win

Associated Press
Nov. 25, 2006 08:51 PM

ST. LOUIS - Yankic Perreault scored his seventh goal in eight games to lead Phoenix to a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Saturday night.

It was his first goal since scoring six times in five consecutive games before going without a goal in his past two contests. Perreault broke a 1-1 tie after he buried the only goal in the second period with under two minutes remaining, collecting a long rebound off the pads of Blues goaltender Curtis Sanford and blasting it into the right side of the net.

Owen Nolan also scored for the Coyotes. Dan Hinote scored his third goal of the year for St. Louis.

Sanford failed to smother Ed Jovanovski’s shot from the left side and the Blues failed to mark Perreault, who has 10 points this season. The loss kept St. Louis from achieving its first three-game winning streak since February of last season. It earned consecutive shootout victories at Columbus and Detroit before taking on Phoenix.

Curtis Joseph handled a 5-on-3 opportunity for St. Louis about midway through the third period and stopped 25 shots in his sixth victory of the year.

Both teams scored in the first period, but failed to mount any serious threats in the third. The Blues tied the score at 1 on Hinote’s shot with 4:46 left in the first period and less than four minutes after Nolan’s score gave Phoenix a 1-0 lead.

Notes: The Blues drew their second-largest crowd of the season with 14,440 fans, short of the 17,213 at their home opener. …Nolan earned his first goal of the year and first since the 2003-04 season in St. Louis on Oct. 17. …The Blues honored C Doug Weight before the game, their first in St. Louis since Weight became the 210th player to skate in 1,000th games Nov. 16 in Edmonton. The Blues presented a crystal plaque, an engraved silver stick and a watch to Weight who was joined by his wife and three children.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1125coyotes-ON.html 

Coyotes rebound behind Joseph

Jim Gintonio
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 26, 2006 12:00 AM

ST. LOUIS - Cujo was playing like . . . well, a mad dog.

Coyotes goalie Curtis Joseph put on quite a show for his old team, acting like a kid on the ice as he helped trigger a much-needed 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Saturday night.

Joseph, 39, showed his former teammates he still has it. He dived and slid, making 25 saves off his gloves, stick, skates and almost every body part.

“You feel young at times,” Joseph said. “My job description is to make big saves and fire up the team.”

His inspired effort mirrored that of his teammates, who were desperate to put a miserable game from Friday night behind them.

The Coyotes came out of the chute inspired, skating hard and not backing down, enabling them to secure their second road win of the year, both at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center.

Owen Nolan scored the first Phoenix goal at the 11:35 mark of the first period, battling and outhustling players near the Blues’ net.

However, the Blues tied it up four minutes later.

In the second period, Yanic Perreault took advantage of excellent ice position and gave the Coyotes a 2-1 edge on a rebound shot.

Midway through the third period, Joseph and a number of penalty-killers came through with a quality effort. They held off the Blues for 68 seconds when St. Louis was on a 5-on-3 advantage.

Emotions ran high shortly after that, and Derek Morris and Keith Tkachuk, a former Coyotes captain, slugged it out and were sent to the penalty box for seven minutes.

Luck, too, was riding with the Coyotes, as several shots came close to making it into the net, and a few others hit the posts.

The Coyotes did what they had to do - knock out as much of the bad taste from Friday’s ugly loss in Minnesota out of their system.

“I was proud of how they played tonight,” Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said.

Coyotes report
Cheers
To the Coyotes’ hustle and willingness to do the little things that normally don’t merit much attention, unless they’re not done. Killing five power plays, including a 5-on-3, was huge.

Jeers
The Coyotes again had trouble on the power play, missing all fourthree opportunities.

Our 3 stars
1. Curtis Joseph, Coyotes, 25 saves from all angles.
2. Yanic Perreault, Coyotes, game-winning goal.
3. Owen Nolan, Coyotes, first goal set the tone.

View from the press box
It was hard to tell what had more impact — Owen Nolan’s first-period goal or the fact that he engaged in a spirited fight with the Blues’ Barret Jackman. It was a score the Coyotes needed to lift their spirits after being shut out the night before, and it was one of those smart fights that served a purpose.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1126yotesgamer1126.html 

Gretzky scratches Nagy for ‘inexcusable’ error

Jim Gintonio
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 26, 2006 12:00 AM

ST. LOUIS - Staying on the ice and skating hard for only a few more seconds might have kept Ladislav Nagy out of coach Wayne Gretzky’s doghouse. But the Coyotes left wing made the mistake of leaving the ice on a power play just before the Minnesota Wild scored a short-handed goal en route to a 4-0 victory on Friday.

Nagy was scratched before Saturday’s game in St. Louis, and Gretzky said his status remains uncertain.

One thing was certain: Gretzky sent a message to both Nagy and the team by showing video of Nagy’s misdeed and announcing to all that he was pulling Nagy from the lineup.

“We’ve gone through a stretch here where, quite honestly, he has one goal in 21 games, and what he did (Friday) was inexcusable,” Gretzky said. “Changing on a two-on-one resulted in their goal, and you can’t do that.

“If I can’t get top players to play within a team structure and play unselfishly, then it’s not going to work for anybody.”

Gretzky added that everything is not Nagy’s fault, and that Nagy is a better player than he showed in the last game. Gretzky said that he’s not convinced that Nagy is healthy after the knee injury he suffered last year.

“But at this point in time, I just felt I had to make a stand as a coach and make the team realize that everyone has to be on the same page. I think he understands it’s up to him to see how he responds, how he battles back.

“Like I said to the players, I was a player and I understand these are the worst days of being a professional athlete when you come off a bad loss, but it’s even worse from a coach’s point of view. I thought we were past these kind of days and meetings because over the last 10 games (before Friday), the effort has been outstanding, and the effort in Minnesota was really poor.

“We didn’t compete and weren’t physical and, again, it’s wasn’t one guy’s fault. It wasn’t Laddy’s fault. He’s not the only culprit. It was all 20 guys, but in saying that, what he did as a player was inexcusable.”

Nagy said he couldn’t remember the last time he was a healthy scratch. He said his knee feels fine.

“It’s the coach’s decision,” said Nagy, who becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Asked what he had to do to regain Gretzky’s confidence, he said, “I don’t know. Ask him.”

Gretzky said it’s pretty simple: play within a team structure and play unselfishly. He said three players who had been on the third line most of this season - Georges Laraque, Oleg Saprykin and Michael Zigomanis - all battled back from adversity to regain their spots. They were on the first line Saturday.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1126yotesider1126.html

Bild des Spiels:

Nach einem gutem Spiel darf man CuJo auch gratulieren

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GFHL: Lehtonen beim Debut stark!

26.11.2006 von Coyote.

Es war das erste GFHL-Spiel als Starter für die Phoenix Coyotes: Kari Lehtonen bekam gegen die Boston Bruins heute eine Bewährungschance. Diese nutzte er, hielt 23 von 25 Schüssen. Phoenix besiegte Boston mit 3:2.

Die Coyoten hatten das Spiel absolut im Griff, schalteten jedoch nach dem 3:0 zu früh ab und überließen den Bruins das Feld. Die Bruins streckten sich noch einmal, doch Lehtonen hielt nach dem Anschlusstreffer zum 3:2 alles was auf ihn zukam und sicherte somit den Coyoten den Sieg. Die Treffer für Phoenix erzielten Doan (Mara, Reinprecht), Brind’Amour (Nagy) und Zubov (Nagy, Brind’Amour).

Boxscore

Patrik Elias meldete sich nach dem Spiel wieder zurück im Kader der Coyoten. Damit wird es wieder Umstellungen geben - etwas also, was es in den letzten Jahren in Phoenix nicht unbedingt regelmäßig gab. Steve Reinprecht wird auf den rechten Flügel rutschen. Zudem wird er neue Linemates bekommen: er wird ab sofort in der ersten Reihe neben Ladislav Nagy und Rod Brind’Amour stürmen. Der 1st Line Job ist ein Dankeschön dafür, dass Reinprecht nach 12 Spielen nun 12 Punkte auf dem Konto hat. Patrik Elias wird in die zweite Reihe neben Mike Comrie und Shane Doan gehen. Brendan Morrison rutsch zudem wieder in Reihe 4, seinen Job als Center der dritten Reihe übernimmt Mike Johnson, der von Jere Lehtinen auf rechts und Michal Handzus auf linksunterstützt wird. Mike Zigomanis wurde zurück ins Farmteam der Coyotes nach Sarasota geschickt.

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NHL: Schlimme Niederlage gegen Minnesota

25.11.2006 von Coyote.

Mit viel Ambitionen ging man ins Spiel, in ein Spiel, in dem man gewinnen hätte müssen. Am Ende stand ein 0:4 auf dem Scoreboard - nicht einmal ein Tor gelang den Coyoten gegen Minnesota. Das kostet echt Nerven langsam, denn immer wenn man denkt es geht endlich aufwärts kommen solche Dinger.

Wenn man dem Ganzen wenigstens etwas positives entnehmen will dann, dass David LeNeveu für CuJo nach dem 4. Tor auf’s Eis durfte und eine durchaus gute Leistung zeigte.

ESPN: Boxscore Recap

Das schreibt AZCentral.com:

Minnesota blanks Coyotes
Leneveu replaces CuJo late in third period

Associated Press
Nov. 24, 2006 02:35 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Niklas Backstrom recorded his first NHL shutout and the Minnesota Wild scored three special-team goals to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-0 on Friday.

Starting his second straight game in place of Manny Fernandez, Backstrom stopped 28 shots. He posted 18 shutouts the past four seasons while playing the Finnish Elite League. Backstrom signed as a free agent on June 1.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Branko Radivojevic scored power-play goals, Pascal Dupuis added a short-handed tally, and Mark Parrish scored at even strength for the Wild, 9-1-1 at home. Kurtis Foster and Todd White each had two assists.

Minnesota posted its second shutout of the season. The Coyotes were blanked for the fourth time, third by a 4-0 score.

Curtis Joseph was shaky in stopping 18 shots for Phoenix and was replaced by David Leneveu after Radivojevic made it 4-0 at 6:57 of the third period.

The Coyotes, who lost for the third time in four games, are an NHL-worst 1-9 on the road.

Phoenix, which has the league’s 29th-ranked power play, was 0-for-5 with the extra man. Minnesota, which has the league’s best home power play and fourth overall, was 2-for-6.

The Wild took a 1-0 lead late in the first period during one of their two 5-on-3 advantages.

Foster raced to a loose puck at the point and poked it ahead to White, who used a touch pass to find Bouchard alone in front. Bouchard moved the puck from backhand to forehand, before deking Joseph, who lost for the second time in 12 career starts against Minnesota.

After Parrish beat Joseph with a slap shot between the pads midway through the second period, Brian Rolston avoided a slash by Ladislav Nagy, to begin a 2-on-1 late in the period. Dupuis took a pass from Rolston in the right circle, and held the puck for a few seconds before putting a wrist shot between Joseph’s pads for his fourth goal in five games.

Radivojevic scored his first goal in 10 games by putting a rebound of Foster’s shot into an open net midway through the third.

Notes: Bouchard’s goal was his first point in six games. … Phoenix is 2-12 when its opponent scores first and 1-15 when trailing after two periods. … Minnesota C Pavol Demitra missed his second straight game with a head injury, and C Wes Walz sat out his second game due to a hip injury.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1124coyotes-ON.html

LeNeveu strong in relief of Joseph

Jim Gintonio
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 25, 2006 12:00 AM

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Coyotes backup goalie David LeNeveu played the final 13:03 Friday, mainly to give Curtis Joseph a little extra time to rest before tonight’s game in St. Louis. LeNeveu came in with the Coyotes down 4-0 and shut out the Wild the rest of the way, stopping three shots.

LeNeveu, who has struggled to impress coach Wayne Gretzky, said he has to make the most of every chance he gets. He said he played with confidence Friday.

“You’re always looking for an opportunity, and every time you get one, you’re just going out trying to stop the next puck and give the team every chance you can,” he said. “I go out every day, whether it’s a practice or a game, and work hard.

“If I concentrate on what I’m doing, it’s going to contribute to the success of the team and myself . . . I want to be successful.”

He says he understands his role but also wants to push Joseph “to be his best so I can be my best.”

Gretzky, who will start Joseph tonight, said LeNeveu came through with a good effort.

“I was happy for Lenny,” he said. “He’s a good kid, and he’s worked hard.”

Getting angry
Georges Laraque said losing the way the team did Friday puts the players on the same page in one area.

“Everybody’s in a bad mood, everybody’s angry,” he said. “The only thing is, we should be more angry at ourselves than the situation because we put ourselves in that situation.”

Even though the playoffs are months away, he said it’s never too soon to be thinking about them if the team needs that goal as a motivation.

“There’s so much ground to make up,” he said. “We can’t be happy that day (with a win). We have to get back to work the next day.”

Wild example
Gretzky knew that the Wild, who have a 9-1-1 record at home this season, would be a challenge.

“Like I said to the team before the game, this team (Minnesota) is one of the hardest-working teams in hockey,” he said. “They’re extremely well coached (Jacques Lemaire), and they’re disciplined. They’re not going to be out of character, especially after missing two or three players like they were.”

Coyotes report
Cheers
The Wild played without three of their top players and managed to keep the Coyotes out of kilter for the majority of the game.

Jeers
Coyotes go 0-for-5 on power plays and give up a short-handed goal.

Our three stars
1. Niklas Backstrom, Wild goalie, 28 saves in first win as a starter.
2. Pascal Dupuis, Wild, short-handed goal.
3. Georges Laraque, Coyotes, led a quality effort by his line.

View from the press box
Haphazard and sloppy might be too nice of words to describe the Coyotes’ play for most of Friday’s game. Whatever momentum they had after beating New Jersey in of their best efforts of the season vanished. They need a win in the worst way. A loss tonight in St. Louis would be crushing for a team whose psyche is already fragile.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1125yotenb1125.html 

Gretzky laments performance

Jim Gintonio
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 25, 2006 12:00 AM

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Dejected and frustrated, Wayne Gretzky keeps looking for answers.

And Friday, the Coyotes coach was looking for something - a few members of his team.

“You’re not going to be successful at this level if your best players don’t show up,” said Gretzky after Phoenix was humbled by the Minnesota Wild 4-0 before a matinee crowd of 18,568 at the Xcel Energy Center.

“Listen, I’m really disappointed in this loss. It’s one of the baddest ones we’ve had this year, especially coming off a good effort against a good team (3-1 win over New Jersey on Wednesday).”

Failing to convert on any of five power plays, giving up a short-handed goal and appearing out of sync for much of the day gave the Coyotes no chance at all. The Wild’s team effort on two power plays and the short-hander proved decisive.

The turning point for the Wild came when Pascal Dupuis scored during a Coyotes power play, giving Minnesota a 3-0 lead with only 2:03 left before the second intermission.

“It was horrendous, it was horrendous,” Gretzky said about that goal, and added that the game was “the most discouraging loss of the year.”

Gretzky’s frustration with the power play was merited. A couple of times the Coyotes failed to get off a shot, “and we didn’t even threaten to score a goal,” the coach said.

The short-handed goal also marked the end of the night’s work for left wing Ladislav Nagy, who sat the rest of the night. Asked why he pulled him, Gretzky said, “I think it’s pretty obvious . . . I didn’t think I was gonna miss his three goals this year in the third period.”

After the Coyotes gave up the first goal on a five-on-three disadvantage, they seemed to wake up some.

Gretzky liked that the Coyotes were “skating a little bit” and creating scoring opportunities. Captain Shane Doan said the most disappointing part of the loss was the inability for the team to capitalize on the momentum it had built against New Jersey.

“Special teams killed us, and when you do that, you’re gonna lose,” he said. “We just need to find a way to stay business-like in our approach. We can’t get too low now. We play (tonight in St. Louis), and we’ve got to be ready. We’ve got to find a way to be consistent, and I take it upon myself and a couple guys to make sure we have it every night.”

With several high-powered Wild players either sitting hurt or on injured reserve, Gretzky had a better scenario in mind: “It was an opportunity to seize the moment.”

The line of Georges Laraque, Oleg Saprykin and Michael Zigomanis provided the bright spot for the Coyotes.

Even though every loss digs the Coyotes into a deeper hole, Laraque figures this one could be a blessing in disguise.

“We always respond well from a loss,” he said. “We just don’t always respond well from wins. Hopefully, we got the message.”

Tonight’s game
Coyotes at Blues
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Scottrade Center.
TV/Radio: AZ-TV, FAN-AM (1060).

BLUES UPDATE: Keith Tkachuk gets ready to take the ice against the Coyotes, a team he once captained. He leads St. Louis in scoring and is tied for second in penalty minutes. Lee Stempniak and Martin Rucinsky have also been key point producers. The Blues could be vulnerable against a team that desperately needs a win. They played Friday night in Detroit to end a five-game road trip.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1125yotegamer1125.html

Bild des Tages:

CuJo - der Blick sagt irgendwie alles.

Heute geht es schon weiter, in St. Louis trifft man auf die Blues. Den GDT von HFBoards gibts leider noch nicht, wird aber nachgereicht.

Viel Glück in St. Louis…

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