GDT: Game 4: Buffalo Sabres @ Arizona Coyotes | 10/13/18 6:00 p.m. PDT | FS-A | Welcome to the Bliss

Fyreman

Ret FD Batt Chief
Jul 19, 2013
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Noticed that our next opponent, Minnesota, has allowed the most shots per game at 43. We're top 5 in shots for with 37. So what happens next game? We fire 70 at Dubnyk and he shuts the door?
If that happens, I will hunt you down and verbally abuse and blame you for the BAD MOJO you put on us...
 
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Jakey53

Registered User
Aug 27, 2011
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I'm really tired of all the "firsts" this team has allowed, given etc. for so many years now and last night they came in three's. Dahin's first NHL goal, Skinner's first points of the season, and lastly Ullmark's first NHL shutout, three in one game and it's about as predictable as that feeling you get that our opponent is going to score within the last minute of a period.

Last nights performance was the worst of the season and it was not from a lack of effort (for the most part), it's because of stupid effort. As an example there is not much reason to hate on Demers for the first goal, as both defenders were attempting to make a blueline stand. Demers got beat by an offensively skilled player in Skinner and then Richardson was outplayed by an eighteen year old on the rebound. point is that there is plenty of **** that can happen and we will see **** happen with the more aggressive style of play.

We did have secondary scoring chances around the net and could not capitalize, at some point we will. It is however extremely frustrating to see points in the game where the hockey gods are affording us puck luck and we can't honor them with success. It's all difficult to watch as this is one of the best teams we've had in years, but sans any highly effective game planning night in and night out, I don't know that this team is built well enough to compete in this league yet. Say what you want, but we don't really know what we have until Dvo and Chucky are back and that's the way it goes for a cash strapped franchise.
Come on now. That was Demers mistake. Richardson was back checking and if Demers would have taken the man and not that silly poke check I don't think Buffalo scores.
 

justin323032

Registered User
Oct 12, 2018
423
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In all seriousness, could we not use Doaner right now? I was all for parting ways with him last year but Crouse and Fischer aren't filling in the ways that he did when he was with us.

Having said that, I think Crouse has actually been pretty decent and I'm pretty sure Fischer leads the league in PIM.
 

BUX7PHX

Registered User
Jul 7, 2011
5,581
1,350
Our record after four games is better than last season.

More importantly, we simply don't look the same as last year. There were a lot of new bits of information in the system, but we did not play cohesively at all in the first 15 games or so. It was a shit show. Too much leaving ourselves out of position, too few key plays, and a lot of people who started to do their own thing. The 50/50 pucks and loose puck battles are infrequently losses for us - last year, we never gave ourselves the chance to create opportunities by being the first to the puck or winning these 50/50 battles.

Those are the little improvements that I have seen, which has pretty much meant to finalize a turn-around and play as we were playing in the last 41 of last year, it comes down to finish on shots and making the goalie have to work a little harder to see the shot.
 
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rt

The Kinder, Gentler Version
May 13, 2004
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A Rockwellian Pleasantville
In all seriousness, could we not use Doaner right now? I was all for parting ways with him last year but Crouse and Fischer aren't filling in the ways that he did when he was with us.

Having said that, I think Crouse has actually been pretty decent and I'm pretty sure Fischer leads the league in PIM.
Fire MacLean and name Doan interim assistant coach.
 
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Coyotedroppings

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Jul 16, 2017
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Come on now. That was Demers mistake. Richardson was back checking and if Demers would have taken the man and not that silly poke check I don't think Buffalo scores.
It's a mistake to try to stand up a guy like Jeff Skinner at the blue line. Who's decision do suppose that is?
 

Coyotedroppings

Registered User
Jul 16, 2017
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I've re-read your post a couple of times, nice observations, I will say if you thought I was attacking you, you are gravely mistaken. The cash strapped ideology is something we live with as Coyote's fans. I try hard not to use it as an explanation/excuse of the poor play of a team. If you want to use it, that's your prerogative. Call it bad "puck-luck," or poor coaching, or just a below average team, I just don't see where "added" depth is changing a lot of what I've seen so far.
It's a reality, not an excuse. Look at the rosters from last night.
 

knich

Registered User
Jan 3, 2006
944
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Scottsdale, AZ
Ok, people.

I do want to say one thing: This team has had a hard schedule. The Stars looks like stars this season. Two games agains the Ducks, one win, one win of two against a really high-end team like the Ducks are really not bad at all.

Buffalo arrived after a bad thrashing, and got their super-high picks moving, for a change.

This has been a rough start. But the opponents has been stars, high-end, high-end, and stacked. Really.

But Buffalo goalie was a rookie. We are making every goalie Vezina contender.

14 long pages, but I gather that watching the game would have been more painful.

How is it possible that we're worse than last season?

I don't think we are worse. And I really like the system RT has instituted. We just lack scoring ability. A move for skilled scoring winger needs to be made. We can't wait for Galy. What I don't like is RT saying he has no answers. The answer is move up Grabner in the lineup.

Fire MacLean and name Doan interim assistant coach.

I was not a fan of MacLean when hired. But if he is responsible for the PP he is doing great. It is not his fault the personnel can't shoot anything but the goalie's chest. The puck movement has been fantastic.
 
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Bonsai Tree

Turning a new leaf
Feb 2, 2014
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I watched the game and even when they finally start scoring, the roster is just not good enough. When people say that the team "played well", I see them not playing as well as their opposition. Raanta has been mostly amazing defenses have adapted to Tocchet's style by collapsing a bit, allowing the outside shot and simply out muscling the Coyotes forwards from the faceoff circles in.
 

YotesFan47

Registered User
Jun 16, 2012
4,145
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Phoenix, Arizona USA
Come on now. That was Demers mistake. Richardson was back checking and if Demers would have taken the man and not that silly poke check I don't think Buffalo scores.
I disagree, Demers was not great on that play but the goal was 100% Richardson's fault. The play was not dead and he was puck watching.
 

YotesFan47

Registered User
Jun 16, 2012
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Phoenix, Arizona USA
I watched the game and even when they finally start scoring, the roster is just not good enough. When people say that the team "played well", I see them not playing as well as their opposition. Raanta has been mostly amazing defenses have adapted to Tocchet's style by collapsing a bit, allowing the outside shot and simply out muscling the Coyotes forwards from the faceoff circles in.
I thought as a whole we did really well. I think we rush the puck up a bit too hard and our players are not shooting with any accuracy. Those are the two major issues I see.
 

knich

Registered User
Jan 3, 2006
944
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Scottsdale, AZ
The reality is that despite all the shots and the excellent offensive and defensive schemes in place we are still a mediocre at best offensive team. I know everyone was giddy about how the Yotes played from Jan. 1. But we were well out of the playoffs by then. This is why I say we are not a worse team this year. The team seems worse because we are again playing (shooting) poorly (despite all the shot opportunities) when there is pressure to win. These guys aren't so poor of players that they can be shut out 3 of 4 games and not even score at home let alone win. The elephant in the room is that we still don't have any superstars (like an Ovechkin, Crosby, Perry, Mathews, Kopitar, Pavelski, Benn, etc) who can change the momentum on a dime when the team needs it. Maybe Galy is that guy but on every team there are at least two players who are game changers and who want that puck. So even if Galy is that guy who else do we have? It is clearly not Keller. As much as I like his game, he has shown that he alone cannot be a game changer, particularly since every team schemes to stop the little guy. Heck Anaheim is missing Getzlaf and Perry and they're still winning. We need more bodies to the net. We need more of a physical presence and some more (not necessarily skill) but winners up front. We need some game changers.

The closest I've seen to a game changer thus far is Grabner. The guy has scored 27 goals each of the last two years and none on the PP because he hasn't played the PP. He is potentially a game changer. If you can score 27 goals each year at ES or on PK then you have talent and likely some balls. Richardson would have had another goal last game thanks to Grabner if he could catch a pass as Grabner fed him again perfectly to a wide open net. I would like to see what Grabner could do on top two lines. We knew he was fast. We knew he could play D. We knew he could score. We didn't know he could also pass. Is he a game changer? Only RT will answer that question for us.
 
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Jakey53

Registered User
Aug 27, 2011
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It's a mistake to try to stand up a guy like Jeff Skinner at the blue line. Who's decision do suppose that is?
I didn't say stand him up. Demers had position on Skinner but he blew it when he tried that poke check and Skinner went around him. I don't think Dahlin would have pinched if Skinner was forced to the outside. Demers and Richardson both had blame on this goal.
 

Jakey53

Registered User
Aug 27, 2011
29,977
9,038
The reality is that despite all the shots and the excellent offensive and defensive schemes in place we are still a mediocre at best offensive team. I know everyone was giddy about how the Yotes played from Jan. 1. But we were well out of the playoffs by then. This is why I say we are not a worse team this year. The team seems worse because we are again playing (shooting) poorly (despite all the shot opportunities) when there is pressure to win. These guys aren't so poor of players that they can be shut out 3 of 4 games and not even score at home let alone win. The elephant in the room is that we still don't have any superstars (like an Ovechkin, Crosby, Perry, Mathews, Kopitar, Pavelski, Benn, etc) who can change the momentum on a dime when the team needs it. Maybe Galy is that guy but on every team there are at least two players who are game changers and who want that puck. So even if Galy is that guy who else do we have? It is clearly not Keller. As much as I like his game, he has shown that he alone cannot be a game changer, particularly since every team schemes to stop the little guy. Heck Anaheim is missing Getzlaf and Perry and they're still winning. We need more bodies to the net. We need more of a physical presence and some more (not necessarily skill) but winners up front. We need some game changers.

The closest I've seen to a game changer thus far is Grabner. The guy has scored 27 goals each of the last two years and none on the PP because he hasn't played the PP. He is potentially a game changer. If you can score 27 goals each year at ES or on PK then you have talent and likely some balls. Richardson would have had another goal last game thanks to Grabner if he could catch a pass as Grabner fed him again perfectly to a wide open net. I would like to see what Grabner could do on top two lines. We knew he was fast. We knew he could play D. We knew he could score. We didn't know he could also pass. Is he a game changer? Only RT will answer that question for us.
I would move Grabner up, but he is not a game changer. We do not have a super star on this team. Even with more talent on this team, we are still a team by committee.
 

Name Nameless

Don't go more than 10 seconds back on challenges
Apr 12, 2017
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The elephant in the room is that we still don't have any superstars (like an Ovechkin, Crosby, Perry, Mathews, Kopitar, Pavelski, Benn, etc) who can change the momentum on a dime when the team needs it. Maybe Galy is that guy but on every team there are at least two players who are game changers and who want that puck. So even if Galy is that guy who else do we have? It is clearly not Keller. As much as I like his game, he has shown that he alone cannot be a game changer, particularly since every team schemes to stop the little guy.

Kellers curse is of course the fact they can spend so much of their brain-capasity (and all other capasity) on him. I think that's what caused him to be out of the Calder-considerations, even if he got a nomination.

With another goal-scorer (or two) the picture would change drastically. They couldn't be so good at making sure he doesn't get his chanses.

With Galchenyuk back, I believe this means this will improve more than you think.

But of course, the lack of stars- mainly by being a low-cap -team- is the elephant. Agreed.
 

GiveAFlyingPuck

Boring hockey aficionado
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Jun 19, 2011
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Our record after four games is better than last season.

But we scored 9 goals in the first 4 games last season and were not shut out in the whole month of October.

Still need 2 points to exceed last season's horrible October.

It's a huge shit sandwich and we're all going to have to take a bite.
 

Neighborhood Coyote

Registered User
Sep 14, 2017
3,121
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This is what I get for betting on the Yotes, haha. Man, it's frustrating... one thing to lose it's another to do it in such spectacular and weird fashion. Luckily (I suppose) I didn't have to watch us get shut out in this one.

On a positive note, I'm still happy hockey is back on. Just need these games to stop having such long breaks in between them.
 

MIGs Dog

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Jan 3, 2012
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But we scored 9 goals in the first 4 games last season and were not shut out in the whole month of October.

Still need 2 points to exceed last season's horrible October.

It's a huge **** sandwich and we're all going to have to take a bite.

I agree. Just trying to be a glass half full guy. :rolleyes:

I know shot quality counts, but being 5th in shots per game and FIRST in shots allowed (3rd best in goals allowed) should mean we don't suck as bad as our record suggests.
 

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