Just because he hits their players…with impunity. It’s his job because the players of the team from the mid-western state East of Wisconsin don’t like being hit. I guess they think it’s unfair. When Doan is in the lineup, Cornball has seen more ceilings than ice time, and he’s their guy to hit Coyotes players.

Which, to his credit, he did when Doan was not in the lineup.

I’m not sure if they’ll give Doan credit for this, but there was a chance to land on Clint Howard instead of sliding into the boards. Instead, he didn’t want to hit him in a vulnerable position.

You see, Shane Doan has class, which is more than I can say of some of the fans of the team from the mid-western state East of Wisconsin.

You hopefully have noticed that I have not called Nordstrom a “punk-ass bitch”, or Lardstrom, or Ernie. I don’t like them, but I don’t think they’re dirty players. Even Ernie deserves a chance at redemption, just not against the Coyotes.

Shane Doan is a game time decision. If he can’t go full-throttle, how effective will he be? If he does play, I want him to return to the hitting machine he was prior in games 1 – 3. If he can’t do that, then the team from the mid-western state East of Wisconsin will have a field day hitting our players. And they should – that’s hockey.

(See…I understand the game…it’s nothing personal.)

Each subsequent game in this round one gets more and more important and Game 5 is no different. They need not make easy shots on Clint, but instead, make his life difficult. Another thing that Shane Doan does.

Game on.

#ThrowTheSnake

What I’ve Read Around Cyberspace:

From Hip Shot :

• WhiteOut 2010 – Game 4 ouch… Shake it Off

From The Good, the Bad, the Coyotes :

• Hockey Character

From The Detroit Free Press :

• Coyotes look to protect home ice
• Wings and Coyotes all even; tonight’s game is turning point
• Jimmy Howard: Not favored to win rookie of year
• Helene St. James: Mike Babcock can see Cleary now
• There’s still a loooong way to go to vanquish Coyotes

From The Toronto Sun :

• The pain of Shane: Coyotes know they’ll be hurting if captain out of Game 5

From MLive.com :

• Red Wings’ Brian Rafalski doesn’t skate, but will play; Coyotes’ Shane Doan is game-time decision

From The National Post :

• Howard a true late bloomer

A break for the team from the mid-western state East of Wisconsin?

Hardly. Last game I saw was Doan out for 2/3 of the contest only to have the team from the mid-western state East of Wisconsin be gassed and confused.

The Coyotes won their game without Doan scoring any significant goals. The Coyotes are team.

They are a pack.

Main Stream Media up there need to get a clue.

Game.Still.On.

#GoCoyotes #ThrowTheSnake

I do expect classless fans to throw one at Jobing.com arena though. Why? Because most fans of the team from the mid-western state East of Wisconsin that live here have no class. It’s that team or nothing. I feel sorry for them actually living in such misery. Hopefully, no one will have a coronary.

It is undecided on Shane Doan’s return. But Fiddler will be back, which is a good thing if you are a fan of face off wins, solid defense, and players who win puck battles. I know I am.

I’m also a fan of good goaltending. Thanks to Iyla Bryzgalov the Coyotes are here showing the National Hockey League that hockey works in the desert. The NHL saw it too and nominated him for the Vezina. He credits his teammates – that’s why his teammates block all those shots, like Fiddler, and Michalek.

The bottom line is that the team from the mid-western state East of Wisconsin were outworked and outplayed on Sunday. Even the coach said so. He knows what he’s up against, even if his players, his fans, or his media don’t.

If they didn’t try hard enough, and I can’t imagine why, it’s like the playoffs, how can this legendary franchise from the mid-western state East of Wisconsin not play up to the caliber of their opponent? Oh, wait, because they don’t think the Coyotes are any good. So I’ll wager that they’ll play extra hard tonight.

They might over compensate for their shortcomings. It happens.

We’re at game four, a huge opportunity for the desert dogs. My work day ends earlier than most, so I’ll be parked in front of my television at 3:30pm. Hope you will be too.

Game on.

#ThrowTheSnake

What I’ve Read Around Cyberspace:

From the Detroit Free Press

• Coyotes’ Shane Doan, Vernon Fiddler might play in Game 4
• Wings’ Jimmy Howard scrutinized by media after loss
• Wanted for Red Wings: Offensive rebounds
• Down a game, Wings confident before tonight’s match
• Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom: Not what he used to be?
• Red Wings not looking good, and Coyotes are to blame

From MLive.com :

• Defenseman Brian Rafalski good to go for Red Wings in Game 4
• Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard uses Chris Osgood’s advice, shakes off Game 3 loss

From CANOE Sports:

• These Wings are cool

From ESPN:

• A must-win already in Detroit? Believe it

From The Sporting News:

• Wings, Coyotes both know the race is far from over

From The Globe and Mail:

• No panic yet in Hockeytown