One Fan's Perspective

What strikes me odd is the level of frustration one shows in competition.  Not that they show frustration, it’s how they show it.

I’ve seen Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalof fling his stick after having a puck go past him almost hitting an official.

But having a player do this, kinda surprised me as he was my favorite player while in Phoenix.

I read it first on Puck Daddy, and when I read closer that the offending player was Keith Ballard?  I wasn’t sure if I read that right or not.

Unfortunately, it’s very true.  Ballard swings his stick at his goal post, clips Tomas Vokoun, and Vokoun is taken away on a stretcher.

Click the link and read Greg’s summary and take on the event.

Mine wavers from irrational to stupid…and disappointed at the same time.

Tags: Hockey, Keith Ballard, NHL, Tomas Vokoun by pbcoyotes
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If I had loads of cash, or knew close friends that could spare some, I would buy a hockey team.  I wouldn’t be like that guy Daniel Snyder, who a) thinks he’s never wrong and b) manages his team like some fantasy league.  No, I would hire people who know what they are doing and let them do it.

We all know that the NHL owns the Phoenix Coyotes and is trying to sell them (hopefully to the most competent owner(s) that has/have a large sum of cash).  Since they hadn’t hit up Craig’s List yet, I’m sure those that want to buy the team can.

First up, the second most talked about group (I would say that the Jerry Reinsdorf plan was the first), has been Ice Edge holdings.  According to Sportsnet, they meet with the NHL on Monday.  The Ice Edge group has had interviews with many different media outlets.  The one group that impressed me was their interview/story found on NPR.  One of my colleagues at work heard that story on her way to work and since I’m all about the hockeys, she asked me about it.  I quickly filled her in – she had no idea that happened (of course, she doesn’t fall sports at all but that’s the take of the general person out here and I would guess everywhere with those that aren’t sports fans like us).

Anyway, my favorite quote is from Darryl Jones, the COO of Ice Edge.

“Four and a half million people? Yeah, it doesn’t take too many hockey fans of that four and a half million to make the team succeed.”

I’m still not sure how the idea of playing assorted games in Canada would go over here with the current fan base given the vitriolic nature of certain Canadian fans who troll message boards of AZCentral (and elsewhere) showing their worst side of themselves.  They say they are committed though to keeping the team out here for the long term.

Next up, a recent development regarding a Montreal citizen wanting to buy the Coyotes appeared in my RSS reader two days or so ago.  It turns out that the storied franchise of the Montreal Canadiens were up for sale in 2000.  Steve Stotland thought he had them and lost the purchase to George Gillett.

Here’s the salient point of the article, according to Stotland:

“They were losing $14 million, the arena was at 70-per-cent capacity, the team was in fifth or sixth place, not competitive, and the dollar was at $1.60. Everybody initially said: ‘Aw, here comes the cowboy.’ But look at what (Gillett) did. Isn’t this a similar situation? This team, nobody wants it. But I want it.”

Which brings up another point for me.  When people up there talk about how hockey works perfectly in their neck of the woods, that we here in the Valley just don’t get it, people don’t care about the team or the games, the storied franchise of the Montreal Canadiens had the same problems filling the arena as we supposedly do.  They were losing money (compare the economies and I wonder if it’s at the same rate?), and the team was just downright awful.

Yes, the Montreal-freaking-Canadiens.  When the Green Bay Packers blew chunks in the 1980s, they still sold out Lambeau Field every game.

Apples and Oranges?  Perhaps.

I’ve long since written that teams that lose, lose their fan base.  The casual fan in a new market with many choices won’t go to see a loser.  What’s worse, it turns out that the Coyotes have had inept leadership at the very top, losing more money on bad decisions.

Other Canadian teams in dire financial straits?  Greg Wyshynski over at Puck Daddy reminds us that the Ottawa Senators had similar difficulties.  (Scroll down a bit though, he catalogs the top 10 stories of the decade as well – it’s a good read.)

The point?  I’m confident that the Coyotes will be sold to an ownership group that is committed to making this thing work.  Attendance is improving, considering the bad economy out here, and the Coyotes will stay put.  During the darkest hours of the summer, I had my doubts, but now it looks like it just might get done.

Go Coyotes, beat the Ducks.  Keep your heads up (literally…seriously…elbows fly over there).  Win more games.

Tags: Financials, Future Concerns, Hockey, Ice Edge Holdings, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Sports Industry, Steve Stotland by pbcoyotes
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” (it’s) the same for both teams, but that ice was absolutely god-awful.”

Stars’ Coach Marc Crawford after first loss to Coyotes, quoted in Arizona Republic

It seems that instead of laying credit where credit was certainly due, head coach Marc Crawford decided to proclaim in their first defeat at Jobing.com arena that the ice was to blame for their first loss.

I would like to think that the Coyotes heard what he said and went out to smoke them again, chasing Turco out of his net when down 4-0.  The Stars went 1 for 5 on the power play, but the Coyotes’ penalty kill was strong again last night.

5-2 loss Mr. Crawford?  Bad ice for your team I guess.   You could have said last time that the team “over there” played a helluva game, that we (the Stars) didn’t execute like we should because we had our chances, and we’ll be more prepared for them next time.

Instead you said, “the ice was god awful”.  Nice.

Now, the Coyotes have four of your points in an extremely competitive Pacific Division.  Hopefully, this victory will give the Coyotes a chance to gain confidence and score goals.

Speaking of scoring goals, Lauri Korpikoski was the Stars’ killer last night; what a way to earn his first points of his NHL career.  In fact, his whole line that included Matt Lombardi, and Scottie Upshall sparked the entire team.  This group was responsible for the three goals scored against Turco, two by Korpikoski, and one by Adrian Aucoin.  They were the engine that pulled the team along.

I guess there was a reason that head coach Dave Tippett used him in the shootout a while back, and a reason why we traded for him for Enver Lisin.  The trade raised some eyebrows back East, but General Manager Don Maloney knew what he was doing.

The coaching staff put Vernon Fiddler and Daniel Winnik on a line with Shane Doan.  Mrs. PB remarked, “Didn’t I tell you they should do that?”  Yes, yes she did.  I would like to believe that our house is bugged, but I would have to get a tin foil hat first.

They had two lines just skating after the puck, and thanks to Robert Lang that started it off, the Coyotes didn’t stop.

The penalties still concern me, but there were a few that I thought were questionable, especially when they didn’t call it both ways.  However, I’ve long complained about the Coyotes and Stars officiating being a little off.  Officials don’t win hockey games though – players do.

I’ve also been a Keith Ballard fan, and still am one after his trade to Florida.  I still have his jersey hanging in my closet as I thought they would build the team around him.  But the guy that I’m paying attention to now is Keith Yandle.  Tyson Nash compared him to Brian Leetch last night.  I think that’s too soon, but I do see some resemblance to the San Jose Sharks Danny Boyle.  When Boyle was in Tampa Bay, he was the one who initiated the offense for Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Brad Richards.  Yandle is doing the same thing.

He belongs on that blue line and we’re fortunate to have him.

Next up, Anaheim.  I think they should try to find a place for Paul Bissonnette, but who would sit in his place? If Peter Mueller’s and Vernon Fiddler’s injuries are extensive, Bissonnette could take one of those spots, but Fiddler’s loss, in terms of momentum, would be a difficult blow.

Here is what I read today:

It’s Amazing When That Moment Arrives You Know That You’ll Be Alright, from Hipchecks

Put Me In Coach, I’m Ready to Play, from The Good, the Bad, the Coyotes

Stars Coyotes Thoughts, from Andrew Dallas Stars’ Blog

Beat Down in the Desert, Stars Blown Out 5-2, from Defending Big D

Coyotes Soar Past Stars, from The Arizona Republic

Turco Pulled as Stars Lose to Coyotes 5-2, from The Dallas Morning News

Korpikoski Helps Coyotes Beat Stars, from The Associated Press

Tags: Dallas Stars, Hockey, Lauri Korpikoski, NHL, Phoenix Coyotes by pbcoyotes
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