NHL: Serie gegen Detroit gerissen

12.1.2007 von Coyote.

Während hier mal wieder schlecht Updates ankamen setzten die Coyoten ihre Siegesserie bis gestern fort. Ohne Dennis Seidenberg, der ja für Kevyn Adams nach Carolina wechselte, verloren die Coyoten gegen Detroit auf eigenem Eis mit 1:5. Den einzigen Treffer für Phoenix erzielte Yanic Perreault.

ESPN: Boxscore Recap

Das schreibt AZCentral.com:

Holmstrom helps end run

Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 12, 2007 12:00 AM

Seven was heaven, but eight is too late.

The Coyotes saw their seven-game winning streak get chewed up and spat out Thursday night by a hungry Detroit Red Wings team, and if anyone thought the 5-1 final was embarrassing, let it be known it could have been a whole lot worse.

In what was a giant disappointment all the way around - especially the smallish crowd of 14,386 in what was expected to be a probable sellout at 18,000-seat Jobing.com Arena - the Coyotes were lucky to hang around as long as they did.

The Red Wings, who wrapped up a five-game trip with two straight victories after starting 0-3, fired 45 shots on Phoenix goalie Mikael Tellqvist. The Coyotes, skating mostly on their heels or watching from the penalty box, mustered just 16 on Dominik Hasek.

Tomas Holmstrom notched his second career hat trick and he and top linemates Henrik Zetterberg (three assists) and Pavel Datsyuk (two goals, three assists) accounted for 12 points on a night when it seemed those three were on the ice every other shift.

They were late in the game, when Detroit coach Mike Babcock threw them over the boards during a two-man Red Wings’ advantage, and Datsyuk scored with about two minutes remaining to draw the ire of Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky.

After the goal, Gretzky pointed a finger at the Detroit bench and seemed to exchange heated words with Babcock.

“It wasn’t him,” Gretzky said. “It was someone else.”

Asked to elaborate, Gretzky said, “It isn’t worth it.”

The Coyotes were worried about dropping their guard after completing a franchise-record 5-0 road trip, and captain Shane Doan said they’d have to make sure they played as hard as possible the first 10 minutes.

They did, and caught a break, too, when a Detroit goal was nullified at 14:29 because video replays showed Kris Draper kicked the puck in with a sweep of his left skate. But the momentum was turning the Red Wings’ way.

Penalties and some sloppy weak-side coverage situations kept putting Phoenix on the defensive and with 48.5 seconds left in the first period, Detroit made it 1-0 on a backhander in close by Holmstrom on the power play.

Tellqvist briefly lost his mask during the play when he was hit a couple seconds earlier by a shot from Zetterberg. The Red Wings outshot the Coyotes 17-9 in the period.

Though clearly playing a notch or two above that of the Coyotes, Detroit had a couple fearful moments after watching its two most experienced defensemen, Nicklas Lidstrom (left knee) and Chris Chelios (facial laceration), have to briefly leave the game.

But they returned and so did Detroit’s magic, as the Red Wings scored four times in the third period. Holmstrom now has 12 goals, Datsyuk 13.

“We sat back and waited too much and we gave them way too much respect. I mean way too much respect,” Doan said.

Coyotes report
Cheers
The Coyotes trailed only 1-0 after two periods despite being outshot 30-11.

Jeers
Too many penalties and defensive lapses in front of goalie Mikael Tellqvist.

Our three stars
1. Tomas Holmstrom, Red Wings, hat trick, one assist and a force in front of the net all night.
2. Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings, two goals, three assists.
3. Henrik Zetterberg, Red Wings, three assists.

View from the press box
Coach Wayne Gretzky on tough-guy forward Josh Gratton, who was scratched because he’s been battling the flu the past few days: “When I was a kid, and I was feeling sick, my mom told me, ‘Go get into a fight, it’ll make you feel better.’ Most mothers just say, ‘Go eat some chicken noodle soup.’”

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/0112yotesgamer0112.html

Even new pricing plan can’t get the red out

Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 12, 2007 12:00 AM

A popular eye-drop product has long vowed to “get the red out.” But nothing seemingly works when the vaunted Detroit Red Wings skate into town, not even a new pricing system put into place this season in Glendale that doubles the individual-game ticket cost for Coyotes’ home games against Detroit.

As usual, hundreds upon hundreds of Red Wings fans showed up for Thursday’s game sporting Detroit gear and, as Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said, “the other red.”

“It’s going to take a long time,” Gretzky said of shedding the Red Wings’ perceived home-ice advantage in places such as the Valley and other non-traditional NHL venues, where the Wings routinely draw huge crowds. “There’s only a few teams that have that sort of following in North America - the Red Wings and maybe the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers. It takes years to build up that reputation, but Detroit earned it by building with guys like Gordie Howe and (Steve) Yzerman and all the way up. There are a lot of people from Michigan who live here, too, so it’s never going to be where there’s 18,000 people cheering for us and none for the Red Wings.”

Gretzky was asked if winning a Stanley Cup might turn the tide in the Coyotes’ favor. He said “no,” adding most “Original Six” teams have a robust following that rarely fades over time. Detroit, he said, might have the best aura in the United States.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan doesn’t subscribe to the theory that most of the fans wearing Detroit sweaters are Phoenix fans in disguise.

“I think the majority of our fans are our fans,” he said. “I also know a lot of people that like hockey came here from Michigan and the northern states and when they’re here, they like cheering for their teams. You don’t necessarily like it, but you understand it.”

Sudden impact
Doan entered Thursday’s game with eight goals and five assists in his previous nine games, earning praise from Gretzky:

“He’s playing the best hockey I’ve seen him play in the year-and-a-half I’ve coached. He’s playing a lot like (Calgary’s) Jarome Iginla. He’s demanding of the puck and he’s killing penalties. He’s the biggest reason why we’re winning. He’s taken his game to another level.”

Doan is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, although casual negotiations on a new deal are ongoing. He has said he wants to finish his career with the Coyotes.

Roster moves
Center Joel Perrault was placed on waivers Thursday to make room for the return today of defenseman Nick Boynton (foot) and forward Patrick Fischer (groin) from the injured list. The Coyotes previously lost Perrault on the waiver wire to the St. Louis Blues and are hopeful he will clear this time and report to Phoenix’s affiliate in San Antonio.

Pang on NBC
Coyotes television analyst Darren Pang was tabbed Thursday by NBC as a broadcaster for the network’s upcoming weekly telecast schedule. He begins work Saturday, helping call the Kings-Blues game, and will be featured in a reporting series called “Inside the Glass.”

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/0112yotenb0112.html

Ricci blames woes on rush to return

Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 11, 2007 12:00 AM

A day after being placed on the injured reserve list in a move that could signal the end of his season, if not his career, Coyotes forward Mike Ricci acknowledged he improperly rushed his return from neck surgery and blames himself for not being more patient.

“Looking back, I knew starting the whole rehab process that it was going to take a long time, but sometimes you try to accelerate things and it puts you back. That’s my fault,” Ricci said Wednesday after getting treatment at Jobing.com Arena.

Ricci, 35, who underwent surgery in June to repair a herniated disk and to remove bone fragments, spent a week away from the Coyotes to contemplate his future after continually being benched by coach Wayne Gretzky.

But on Tuesday, it was agreed that Ricci would return to a full rehab program to try to regain the necessary upper-body strength he needs to play again. It’s uncertain whether he will return this season.

Phoenix’s slow start to the season played a hand in Ricci trying to fast-track his return.

Another reason he left the team for a week, he said, was because, “I didn’t want to show my frustration when they were going so well. . . . I just had to go home and get away from the guys to make sure I didn’t bring them down to my level.”

Ricci hurt his neck on May 10 while working out at a Tempe fitness center.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/0111yotenb0111.html

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