Around the NHL in 30 Days – Phoenix Coyotes

FanSided’s Around the NHL in 30 Days now takes a trip to the desert to see if the Phoenix Coyotes will be a playoff team this year, or just another mirage in the desert

sun. Check out the Howlin’ Hockey blog for a full indepth preview of the Coyotes this year. This team always seems to have questions surrounding it… unfortunately the majority of those questions involve whether the franchise will move or not. Indeed it hasn’t totally been smooth sailing since coming over from Winnipeg in 1996. The last few years has seen this franchise on the brink of relocation, but give the people of Phoenix credit. They keep fighting and working with the NHL to make sure that the team stays put. That’s a good thing because with this tough economy, relocating a team would mean the loss of jobs for many people in Phoenix. Let’s take a second and remember that many people in Atlanta lost their jobs with the Thrashers franchise moving.

Other questions that surround this team include, but are not limited to: Will captain new goalie Mike Smith be ready to put a team on his back night in and night out? Will Raffi Torres continue to be a super pest and at the same time score some important goals? Will Shane Doan continue to laugh in Father Time’s face and be a warrior for the Coyotes? Will Paul Bissonnette continue to impress both on the ice and on Twitter? Here is a preview of what was written on the Howlin’ Hockey blog:

"This is a playoff team with much depth, and much to prove. The goaltending will not be perfect, but good enough to win every night. This group of players know what it takes to win in Dave Tippett’s system. The challenge will be to keep it up through a full 82 game season and beyond."

Season Series: 6 Games – Sharks won 5

The Sharks dominated the Coyotes last year. In 6 total games Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, and Logan Couture all had 4 goals against the Coyotes. The only game the Sharks lost was by a 4-3 score, and that was the closest scoreline of the season series. All of the other games had a score difference of at least 2 goals.

The Coyotes have a lot to prove this year, and will have to fight tooth and nail to get into the playoffs. Honestly i just don’t see them being good enough to sneak into the 8th seed in the very tough Western Conference. But if Mike Smith can stand on his head in goal most nights, then they have a chance. We all know how important goaltending is.

Tomorrow in FanSided’s Around the NHL in 30 Days the spotlight is on your very own San Jose Sharks!

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