“We’ve got to find a way to close those games out … when you get a 5-1 lead, you should defend it well…[hem] them in, don’t give them a chance to come out. Don’t give them any life.”

Dave Tippett quoted in the Arizona Republic

No kidding.  The Coyotes came out strong as they do on most nights, and find a way to score the first goal.  When they do, their record is just spectacular, second in the league behind New Jersey with 22-2-2.

Four-of-a-kind perhaps.

The current home stand has shown us that certain players are about to wake up.  We have seen a brilliant breakaway goal scored by Peter Mueller against the best goaltender in the league Martin Brodeur, Shane Doan finding a way to score points thanks to an on-ice experiment putting Daniel Winnik and Vernon Fiddler on his line, and Ed Jovanovski opening up for a huge night at a plus-four after serving his time away from the ice due to suspension.

Good stuff all around, really.

The concern though that in this homestand, where they’re 2-1-1, and in the previous six games, Bryzgalov and company have allowed their opposition to score three or more goals per game.   While it’s true that the Coyotes have been lighting the lamp at a high level lately, they are beating themselves if they keep allowing this trend to continue.

Because we know they are a good hockey team, fifth in the conference with 61 points, finding ways to put distance between themselves and those below them, but if they don’t shore up the defense, life will certainly get more difficult.

[sarcasm] I’m also very truly sorry that the rest of the NHL’s fan base hasn’t really caught on to the fact the Coyotes are doing well right now.  It’s a different world for these fans to adjust to and I get it.

[/sarcasm]

Yes Glen, a team can be both dealing with financial issues and a good hockey team, I mean the North Stars are still in Minnesota right?  Oh wait…no…that team won, went to the Stanley Cup playoffs, had an idiot owner, and then the team relocated to Dallas.  Good job there recognizing history.

Yes Glen, keep reminding us what happened this summer.  I trust the guys will give us reasons to cheer and continue to have a good fall and winter.  Besides, how many points have the Wild earned against the Coyotes this season?   Wait for it…zero.  Okay then, have your snark, if that helps you.

Next up is what seems to be an annual visit by the Buffalo Sabres on Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  Whether that’s true or not, it just seems like the Coyotes play these guys every year on that day.  However, it will be another difficult test against a very difficult Eastern Conference team who is second in their conference right behind the New Jersey Devils.  They also have an Olympian goaltender in Ryan Miller.

If the Coyotes play their game, play defense to help Bryzgalov out, and if they get the lead and never let go,

then the summer can continue to be a distant memory.

Other views around the media universe?  Take a look:

Coyotes Hold Off Wild in Third, from Arizona Republic

Bid for Second Fairy Tale End Halted by Big Bad Coyotes

Tiny Signs of Life, from Mike Chen’s Hockey Blog

Minnesota Wild and Phoenix Coyotes Game Recap, from Hockey Wilderness

Right now, they control their own destiny as all they have to do is win and the only thing stopping them was their home ice.

The arena was full for a Monday afternoon game, and again with a large contingent of Buffalo Sabres fans. The only way to cultivate a true fan base is to keep winning…

And send opposing fans to the exits before the regulation buzzer sounds.

Daniel Winnik opened the onslaught with a quick goal against Sabres’ goaltender Jocelyn Thibault. Many were curious why Ryan Miller didn’t get the nod for Monday’s game, but it could be related to the 1-5-4 record in the last ten games. Change sometimes helps.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpVQUrgKlUg&rel=1]

In the 6-2 rout, six different Coyotes scored goals, and 12 different Coyotes scored points and another team has a players’ only meeting following the game to discuss what went wrong.

With the win, the Coyotes move to the ninth spot in the Western Conference. Nashville won their game yesterday against St. Louis, and since the Coyotes have more wins than the Predators, they are placed higher in the standings.

Thursday night, the Coyotes host the same Predators at Jobing.com arena. The game is as close to a playoff situation as a team can get before the All-Star break, and the most important game for both franchises.

For the Coyotes, a win not only brings the home record to .500, the win also goes a long way to prove to those around the league that they have every intention of making it to the second season of the NHL.

Here’s more reading material from the Arizona Republic:

Six Coyotes Score in Win Over Sabres
‘Yotes Strike from Many Angles
Youthful Coyotes Coming Together

and from the Buffalo News:

Sabres’ Rut Gets Deeper in the Desert
Gaustad, Ballard Get to Know Each Other

Last year through 47 games:

Record: 21-24-2
GF: 126
GA: 179
GAA: 3.80
Shorthanded: 267

This season through 47 games:

Record: 24-21-2
GF: 121
GA: 126
GAA: 2.70
Shorthanded: 195

The record is an eerie one though, but positively pointed in the right direction. However, the notable statistics are the goals against and the times shorthanded. Each have been drastically decreased. The Coyotes had a long winning streak when they traveled to face the Southeast division last year that bumped their record up, but they still could not cut down on the penalties they took, nor their goals against. Their team defense was not good nor was their team discipline.

Even though the Coyotes were able to string some games together during the late part of December to the mid-part of January, they still ended the year 31-46-5.

For the Coyotes to make this push, the game plan remains the same (in no particular order):

• Puck possession with an aggressive forecheck
• Team defense
• Team discipline
• Goaltending
• Scoring

The next two games, today against Buffalo and Thursday against Nashville, are incredibly huge, as well as those games after the All-Star break. Right now, the standings are completely bunched up with four teams: St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, and the Chicago Blackhawks all with 50 points. Plus, the Coyotes have two games in hand over the Columbus Blue Jackets who hold the ninth spot and lost their last game; the Blues face the Predators later tonight.

In the eighth spot is Vancouver with 55 points and in the seventh is Calgary with 56.

95 points looks like the magic number to qualify for the playoffs, thanks to James Mirtle’s analysis that he features every year. He offers that the Coyotes will need to go 22-12-1 to get in. Last year, the Coyotes had an outside chance, thanks to the run they went on, but couldn’t sustain pressure and were forced to blow the team up and start over.

It’s a good thing they did…

As far as the game today with Buffalo is concerned, please check out Hip Shot Blog and True Coyote Love for game previews from the Coyotes’ perspective.

From the Sabres’ end, be sure to check out Sabre Rattling and LetsGoSabres.

Finally, the mainstream has other recaps to peruse from the Arizona Republic, and the Buffalo News.