Desert Dogs Have Some Bite

by Jesse Liebman

Editorial, Photos by AP News

For all of the off-season controversy that has marred the Phoenix Coyotes franchise, it sure didn’t look like there would be much to talk about in Glendale this season.

As the franchise was plunged into bankruptcy court and Wayne Gretzky stepped down from behind the bench – ending for Gretzky what could only be described as a tenuous four years as the Coyotes’ head coach – many wondered just how long it would be before Phoenix would be taken behind the proverbial shed and be put down.

That disregard has helped the Coyotes get off to their fastest start in recent memory, and it hasn’t been easy for them either. Five of their six wins have come against teams that made the playoffs last season, including the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings, last year’s Stanley Cup finalists.

As of Friday, the Coyotes currently boast a 6-2 record, good for first in the Pacific Division.

Just what is the root cause for such a hot start?

For the Coyotes, it all starts in the net. Ilya Bryzgalov has been a dynamic presence between the pipes, turning away shot after shot from the likes of Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin and Dany Heatley, good enough for a sterling .949 save percentage. He also boasts two shutouts, putting him among the league leaders in that category.

On the blueline, the Coyotes do not boast any outstanding names, but Ed Jovanovski and Zbynek Michalek have put up respectable numbers and are great at shutting down a play.

While Phoenix’s goal-scoring department could still use a little help, they still benefit from great chemistry and great patience with the puck. This has led to some good scoring chances that players have capitalized on. The all-Czech line of Petr Prucha, Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata look like they have the puck on a string at times; with any luck, they’ll start scoring in buckets soon.

Lastly, the addition of Dave Tippet at the helm has been a welcome addition to Jobing.com Arena. Tippet spent several years as the head coach of the Dallas Stars, where he had some post-season struggles. It remains to be seen whether this Coyotes team will fade in the stretch, but if there’s an individual that can push both the young and veteran players, Tippet is the man to do it.

Some other early NHL surprises:

• Colorado – After finishing in the basement of the Western Conference last season, many expected it would be a long season in the Mile-High City this year. So far, the Avalanche have defied critics by posting the best record in the Western Conference (6-1-2). Off-season acquisition Craig Anderson has been largely responsible for the turnaround.

• Atlanta – The Thrashers have only one playoff appearance to show for their ten years of existence; that looks like it may change this year as Atlanta sits at second in the Southeast, and is 3-1-1 on the road. With captain Ilya Kovalchuk off to a phenomenal start – nine goals through seven games – and heading for unrestricted free agency this year, Atlanta needs to do all it can to lock him up if they hope to build on this early season success.

• Edmonton – Edmonton turned back the clock to the days of the Oilers dynasty in those vintage blue and orange jerseys Thursday night, when Edmonton defeated the Blue Jackets by a 6-4 score. The first line of Dustin Penner, Ales Hemsy and Sam Gagner combined for a whopping 13 points. If they can keep it up and Nikolai Khabibulin maintains the form that earned him his “Bulin Wall” moniker, Edmonton looks to be a Northwest dark horse.