Last year this worked out pretty well, we collectively came within 1.5 points of predicting where the Coyotes finished!
So let's do it again.
Last year we moved up quite a bit with 86 points. This year I'm looking for a few more points, I'm not sure this year is the big leap yet. But I'm also looking to see the Coyotes finish with a positive goal differential for the first time since 2012 (yes it has been that long). It will still mostly be based on preventing goals, but with just enough offense injected I think we'll pull into the green.
But I also don't expect the West to be as much a trash heap which will hurt our chances.
I say: 93 points, 4th in the Pacific. Further back in the WC than you'd expect due to the Central.
What could change that? Overtime. And a lot of it. If the Coyotes can improve both 3 on 3 and in the shootout their defense should allow for a lot of close games which will give a lot of opportunities for OT points. Those loser points add up and could push the team into the WC with more points from OT in general. We've seen the Coyotes at times completely control overtimes and also be flabbergastingly incompetent at it. A team like Colorado last year gobbled up 14 loser points and landed a WC out of it. As lame as it is that's probably how the Coyotes make it if they do.
So let's do it again.
Last year we moved up quite a bit with 86 points. This year I'm looking for a few more points, I'm not sure this year is the big leap yet. But I'm also looking to see the Coyotes finish with a positive goal differential for the first time since 2012 (yes it has been that long). It will still mostly be based on preventing goals, but with just enough offense injected I think we'll pull into the green.
But I also don't expect the West to be as much a trash heap which will hurt our chances.
I say: 93 points, 4th in the Pacific. Further back in the WC than you'd expect due to the Central.
What could change that? Overtime. And a lot of it. If the Coyotes can improve both 3 on 3 and in the shootout their defense should allow for a lot of close games which will give a lot of opportunities for OT points. Those loser points add up and could push the team into the WC with more points from OT in general. We've seen the Coyotes at times completely control overtimes and also be flabbergastingly incompetent at it. A team like Colorado last year gobbled up 14 loser points and landed a WC out of it. As lame as it is that's probably how the Coyotes make it if they do.