NHL: Tellqvist bekommt heute seinen ersten Start

4.12.2006 von Coyote.

Der neue Backup der coyotes, Mikael Tellqvist, wird heute seinen ersten Start im Spiel gegen Nashville bekommen. Dafür schon einmal viel Erfolg.

Zudem gibt es einen sehr interessanten Artiekl über Yanic Perreault sowie ein Upodate von Mike Comrie. Der wird sich noch einmal röntgen lassen bevor er auf NHL-Eis zurück kehrt. Beim Training ist er ja immerhin schon dabei.

Den GDT von HFBoards gibt es hier.

Die aktuellen Artikel von AZCentral:

‘OMG’ line gives Coyotes spark

Tim Tyers
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 2, 2006 12:00 AM

An unlikely combination that figured to be little more than a fourth line for the Coyotes recently has found itself in the spotlight.

Now, Coyotes insiders are calling it the “Oh My God (OMG)” line, taking off on the first initials of winger Oleg Saprykin, center Mike Zigomanis and winger Georges Laraque.

“That name can be taken two ways, I guess,” Zigomanis said, laughing, before the Coyotes held an optional skate Friday in which 10 players participated, while others got in off-ice work.

It’s a good point. The unit was broken up three games ago in a game at Minnesota for poor play, then contributed seven points and served on the No. 2 power play in Thursday’s win over Los Angeles. Saprykin had a goal and an assist, Zigomanis two goals and an assist and Laraque, who has had six points since the line was put together two weeks ago, had two assists.

“They have chemistry,” said associate coach Barry Smith, subbing for head coach Wayne Gretzky, who didn’t attend Friday. “They play well off each other on the offensive end.

” ‘Ziggy’ has really improved his offensive game as a puck carrier to the offensive zone. Oleg has been really good down low and helping with the puck cycling, and you can’t knock Georges off the puck. They hardly ever play in their own end, and they tire out the opposition, which is great. They are doing a great job with puck possession because they all help each other. They are hard to play against.”

Cujo ill
Goaltender Curtis Joseph, who was suffering from flu symptoms during Thursday’s win over LA, stayed home ill Friday. With the Coyotes starting a string of six games in nine days Monday - four on the road - the debut of recently acquired net-minder Mikael Tellqvist likely will come Wednesday in Dallas or Thursday in Chicago. The Coyotes are hoping three days off will enable Joseph to hydrate and heal in time for Monday’s home game against Nashville. If not, Tellqvist’s debut could come sooner.

Slap shots
Forward Mike Comrie said he has to have one more X-ray taken to ensure the fractured foot that has cost him 11 games is properly healed. He’s now skating with the team and said he’ll be back “in a week or so.” With a roster spot open, Smith said the team might recall a player from the minors for the upcoming stretch.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1202coyotes1202.html

Perreault helps ‘Yotes stay afloat

David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 3, 2006 12:00 AM

Savior is a powerful word.

Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky has been using it lately to describe center Yanic Perreault, whose polished skills and on-ice presence have helped prevent Phoenix from tumbling entirely out of playoff contention.

The Coyotes started the season 3-9-0-0 but have won six of 12 games since signing Perreault as an unrestricted free agent on Oct. 30.

Perreault, 35, was available because he underwent abdominal-muscle surgery in August and didn’t want to sign with a team until he felt he was completely recovered.

The Coyotes called Perreault in mid-October because they needed a center to replace Steven Reinprecht, who fractured his right clavicle on Oct 14.

“The timing was right for both sides,” said Coyotes General Manager Mike Barnett, who signed Perreault to a $625,000 contract that has turned into the bargain of the year.

In 12 games, Perreault has scored a team-high seven goals. His 10 points rank eighth. And, as expected, Perreault has improved Phoenix’s puck possession time because of his talent in the faceoff circles.

Perreault said he waited until August to have the surgery because it took awhile to figure out exactly what was wrong.

“I thought my injury was more like a groin pull,” he said. “I always thought it was going to get better.”

Longtime Valley hockey fans might recall Perreault from his one-season stint with the minor league Phoenix RoadRunners in 1994-95.

Perreault notched 51 goals and 48 assists in 68 games for the RoadRunners before being promoted to the NHL, for good, by the Los Angeles Kings near the end of that season.

Those ties to Phoenix - and one to Gretzky, his former teammate with Los Angeles - influenced Perreault’s decision to sign with the Coyotes after Nashville passed on him despite his NHL career-high 57 points in 2005-06.

Wanting to go with bigger centers, Nashville did not re-sign Perreault after last season. Instead, the Predators added Jason Arnott and Josef Vasicek.

Perreault will oppose the Predators for the first time since leaving Nashville on Monday night. He said he’d enter the game with no hard feelings.

“I thought I had a good year in Nashville,” Perreault said. “But in hockey changes come quick. The way I look at it was I came to Nashville last year, and I did everything I told them I was going to do, and they went in another direction.

“I’m glad things are working out here now, and it’s time to move on.”

Barnett said before signing Perreault he called Nashville’s brain trust, which recommended him “wholeheartedly.”

Asked if he is considering offering Perreault a contract extension before the season ends, Barnett said: “At this point, it would be something that we’d be wise to explore.”

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1203coyotes1203.html

Tellqvist set to make debut

David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 4, 2006 12:00 AM

Mikael Tellqvist is going to make his debut with the Coyotes tonight vs. Nashville and become the fourth goaltender to start for Phoenix in its first 25 games.

Coach Wayne Gretzky named Tellqvist, whom Phoenix acquired via trade from Toronto last week, tonight’s starter before Sunday’s practice and said Tellqvist also would start either Wednesday’s game in Dallas or Thursday’s game in Chicago.

Curtis Joseph has started the past five games and is getting over the flu.

Tellqvist has played just one NHL game this season and lost it 2-1 to New Jersey on Nov. 18. He stopped 17 of 19 shots.

Rust may be a factor tonight.

“I won’t put too much pressure on myself because it’s probably going to take a little while to get back into a groove,” Tellqvist said. “You can only practice so much. You need to be in game situations.”

Tellqvist is Joseph’s third backup this season.

Mike Morrison and then David LeNeveu failed to keep that job, and Gretzky shipped them to the minor leagues.

Tellqvist said playing in hockey hotbed Toronto and the Olympic Games - he helped Sweden win a gold medal earlier this year - has prepared him for pressure situations like this one.

“You have to perform every game,” Tellqvist said. “The pressure I put on myself is more than the pressure from anybody else. I’m playing for a contract for next year, too.”

Tellqvist, 27, is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, 2007.

Ice chips
Gretzky said center Jeremy Roenick, who was scratched from Thursday’s game because of an upper respiratory illness, would be back in the lineup tonight. Gretzky said he had yet to decide who would be benched to make room for Roenick.

• Center Mike Comrie continues to practice with his teammates, but it’s unclear when he’ll play in a game. Comrie is expected to have his broken right foot X-rayed again this week to check its progress.

• LeNeveu faced 60 shots Saturday night in his first game back with the team’s top affiliate in San Antonio. He stopped 55 of those shots, but Chicago beat San Antonio 5-4.

Tonight’s game
Predators at Coyotes
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Jobing.com Arena.
TV/radio: FSNAZ/KDUS-AM (1060).
Predators update: Red-hot Chicago rallied late to snap Nashville’s four-game winning streak Saturday night. The Predators have won a league-high 11 road games and lead the Central Division by five points. Goalie Tomas Vokoun is out because of a thumb injury, and center Jason Arnott is out because of a knee injury. Right wing Steve Sullivan leads the team with 26 points. Backup goalie Chris Mason has lost just once in regulation and has a 2.74 goals-against average.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1204yotesnb04.html

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