Ducks at Phoenix, vs Coyotes

I wasn't at this game (wish I was!), but it deserves a post because:
- it marks the end of a 6-game Ducks losing streak
- it marks the end of a 7-game Yotes winning streak

And, most importantly, it marks Bobby's second NHL career hat trick!!!



Here's what he had to say to Arizona reporters after the game:



Ducks gave the Yotes a sound beating, 6-4. Come back home and show the Kings similar treatment, Ducks!

Phoenix Coyotes season end

I'm sure I wasn't the only one feeling the heartache last night, as the Phoenix Coyotes fell in crushing defeat to the Detroit Red Wings. After their stunning win in Game 6, it seemed all the more likely that the desert dogs might just have a chance at beating the Wings in this series.

But inevitably, the Yotes were no match against a playoff-perennial like Detroit, who brought everything including the kitchen sink to Phoenix for a landslide 6-1 win. Key Red Wingers like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Niklas Lidstrom showed just why they are considered the best in the league.

Aside from Yotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who started the game off with some awesome saves, yours truly noted that the playoff-green Yotes looked tired and disjointed. Bryz couldn't keep up the acrobatics for a full 60 minutes without a team in front of him. Sitting out his fourth game since a shoulder dislocation, captain Shane Doan also had to watch his team crumble before him.

It was indeed a disappointing end to a fabulous Coyote season, but yours truly would like to remind the Phoenix Coyotes and their fans that they have every reason to be proud of what they managed to accomplish over the past seven months. Amidst ownership turmoil, coach resignations, and every hockey analyst pegging them for last place in 2009-10 season predictions, the Yotes were the Cinderella team.

I remember road-tripping to the opening season game, only to see the team get shutout by the Columbus Blue Jackets (who didn't make the playoffs). I couldn't even buy a Matthew Lombardi t-shirt at the team store because doubts about the team's residence in Phoenix kept merchandise orders on hold.

The small, diehard fanbase grew over a season which saw the Yotes take the Hockey Nation by storm. Suddenly, under new coach Dave Tippett (officially nominated this morning for the Jack Adams award), this team of no-name NHLers was winning games and breaking franchise records.

They burst into the playoffs, clinching a seed behind perennial Pacific Division clinchers, the San Jose Sharks. Unfortunately, the first round would pit them against a Red Wing team fueled by a last-minute push for post-season contention. Again, the naysayers would vote the Yotes out by the fifth or sixth game, claiming Detroit would annihilate them.

But the gritty series would bring out the best in both teams, and arguably the best playoff hockey in Round One. The Yotes forced the Wings all the way to a Game 7, and in so doing, earned respect by fans and players all over the league. As I watched the final handshake (one of my favorite things about hockey), heard the remaining Phoenix fans chant "Let's go, Co-yotes!" (they didn't empty the seats like Detroit had in Game 6), and watched the team salute the crowd in return, I wanted to tell them how proud I was... and how much I appreciated the ride.



Yours truly believes the effects of the 2009-2010 season will ring positive for small-market hockey for years to come. Hopefully, the ownership squabbles will end, the Coyotes will stay in Phoenix, and I'll have many more roadtrip games to look forward to!

Hats off to you, Coyotes!

Phoenix Coyotes at Detroit, vs Red Wings (Round 1, Game 6)

Big game for the Phoenix Coyotes, if they expect to extend their post-season another night.

Early on, it doesn't look good. Defenseman Ed Jovanovski takes a penalty and puts the highly effective Detroit Red Wings on a power play. The Yotes keep their forecheck hard however, and create a turnover in neutral ice that allows Lauri Korpovkoski to send a short-hander past Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard five-hole.

Yotes take the lead five minutes into the first, 1-0.

The Yotes capitalize on the momentum and put up a tremendous fight to kill a 5-on-3 penalty. The game is not unlike the other games in this series: fast-paced, aggressive, hard-hitting... everything playoff hockey should be! captain Shane Doan is still out, having sustained an upper-body injury during Game 3.

But the Yotes have played remarkably despite the loss. The boys have said that Doan is active in the locker room before the game and between periods, rallying his team and boosting the morale. What a captain!

The Wings are playing an intensely physical game, landing hit after hit. The Yotes are making use of their offensive defensemen, guys like Jovo and Keith Yandle often jumping into plays below the circles. And the Yotes are landing plenty of hits of their own.

Phoenix takes the only goal into the first intermission.

Not to sell anyone short, I should mention that both netminders are standing tall in this game, but Ilya Bryzgalov comes up huge against those Red Wings shots.

Yotes continue their pressure and, on a rare Wings penalty, Matthew Schneider receives the puck from Adrian Accoin (who blocks a Wings attempt to clear) and slaps it home from the point. Unfortunately, less than a minute later, the Wings answer and get on the board.

The Wings go on to take a pair of penalties, very rare for them, but probably a sign of frustration. The first is killed off but the second sees Verdim Vrbata snapping a wrister into the net.

Before the end of the period, Petr Prucha puts another into the net. Unlike my beloved Ducks, the Yotes continue to put offensive pressure on their opponent. Yotes take a 4-1 lead into the second intermission...

... and increase that lead to four goals with a bid by Yandle in the third. Bryz continues to be phenomenal despite the Wings getting a goal that was initially waved off. Fights break out in the third as the Wings attempt to turn their impending loss at home into a message for the hungry Coyotes. Yours truly enjoyed watching the frustration... and the plethora of empty seats at the Joe.

With that, the Yotes force a game 7 on Tuesday back at home in Phoenix. You won't want to miss that one!

Edited: This just in, the Vancouver Canucks clinched tonight, knocking the Los Angeles Kings out of the playoffs! It's a good day in hockeyland, ladies and gents.

2010 Playoffs, round 1 (Western)

Even though our hometown heroes are well on their way to various golf courses around the globe, yours truly is hoping Duck fans are still enjoying playoff hockey. If anything, it's kind of fun to cheer against long-time Duck rivals.

And this post-season, the games have been very entertaining so far. The Phoenix Coyotes are my self-proclaimed mistress team, so I've been quite entertained watching them take on the Detroit Red Wings. Ex-Duck goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has been stellar, capping off a Vezina-nominated season with what could be a legitimate run for the cup. Personally, yours truly would love to see this. The Coyotes have had their troubles this season, complete with ownership and bankruptcy squabbles that had most of the hockey purists denouncing the desert underdogs at the beginning of the season.

Under new coach Dave Tippett, the Yotes have fought their way into the post-season, breaking a number of franchise records in stride. They've risen dramatically in the playoffs, keeping pace with the Wings for a furiously entertaining series. Hockey enthusiasts can at least agree that both of these clubs have brought their best to the first round.

As a sidenote, I'm also enjoying seeing newly acquired ex-Duck Petteri Nokelainen bring his energy and enthusiasm to the Yotes. At least I get to see one of my boys in the playoffs.

I'm hoping to see the Yotes end the Wings' run early, and avenge my Ducks for last post-season's lame series-winning goal. It would be hockey justice, you know?

Also very intriguing is the San Jose Sharks contest against the eighth-seeded Colorado Avalanche. In keeping with the Sharks' post-season choking tradition, yours truly tuned in to last night's game just in time to watch Sharks veteran defenseman Dan Boyle fire a shot that was deflected behind his own goaltender within the first minute of overtime. I feel incredibly bad for Boyle, but I can't help but snicker at the Chokes' Sharks' misfortune.

I'm also keeping tabs on the Los Angeles Kings/Vancouver Canucks matchup. However, this is primarily to keep me aware of which nights to steer clear of the Staples Center. I've already mentioned how fond I am of Kings fans, and the hecklings I receive every time I step foot near Staples with my Bobby Ryan jersey. So here's hoping the Kings are quickly pushed out of their first playoffs since 2002.

I haven't been watching too many games in the Eastern Conference, highlights aside. But that will change as the rounds advance and there are less games to watch. Ducks fan or not, playoff hockey is playoff hockey.

Go Yotes/Avs/Canucks!

Coyotes Carnival

I know this is a self-proclaimed Anaheim Ducks blog, but I've been known to highlight certain non-Duck hockey events, particularly in the off-season.

Granted, this isn't the off-season yet, there was a non-Duck hockey event worth reporting on. Yours truly is doing this out of respect for a franchise that did a great job bringing players and fans together in the name of charity.

Oh, and it was also a heckuvalot of fun, making it worth blogging about! (Special thanks to a certain friend that accompanied me and allowed me to get the most out of the festivities!)



This past Sunday, after our hometown heroes had left Phoenix, Arizona and were on their way back home to host the Montreal Canadiens, the Phoenix Coyotes continued their weekend with popcorn and cotton candy at the Coyotes Carnival.


Brought indoors due to inclimate weather, the rink at Jobing.com Arena would become the carnival grounds

Players manned the game booths; everything from ring tosses to milk bottle topples to darts could be played by the attending fans. With a $5 donation, fans could get a player autograph or a picture with a player; both for $10. Attendance cost only $10, and all donations went to Coyotes Charities.


Left winger Lauri Korpikoski manning the ring toss booth

There was also a live band, clowns, face-painting, jugglers, and carnival-themed food. Every donation gave a fan a chance in the raffle drawing for plenty of prize packages, including glass tickets, concert suites, and vacation destinations. Hockey sticks, memorabilia, and autographs from players past were sold at discounted prices at the "Garage Sale" booth.


Before the carnival began, VIP fans were treated to a catered Fleming's lunch with the players


Good grub for growing athletes

Yours truly wasn't exactly hungry, feeling more excited and anxious than anything. For the record, I've never personally met any of the Coyotes before. The team has been my second favorite (behind the Ducks, of course) for the last year (specifically, since center Matthew Lombardi was traded from the Calgary Flames at the 2009 trade deadline), but I don't know much about the other players.

My pick-up line tended to be, "Hey, I flew in from California to see the Ducks/Yotes game last night and for the carnival today..." and the reactions from the players were anything from "Oh no, don't tell me you're a Ducks fan!" (defenseman Keith Yandle) to "Oh wow, that's great! We have Coyotes fans in California!" (Captain Shane Doan) to "I was with the Ducks in '03 for that painful playoff finals loss. And then I left Anaheim and they went on to win the Cup! Go figure!" (defenseman Kurt Sauer).


Shane Doan, the ultimate fan-friend, stayed long after all the other players had left to give every fan special attention

Ex-Duck Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was extremely amused, pointing out that the picture I'd brought him to autograph was one I had shot at the Ponda. He exclaimed, "You're a Ducks fan, but you're wearing a Coyotes shirt!" which he then followed with lots of hearty laughter.

Bryz, you crack me up.


Bryz stifling a yawn as he signed autographs. I don't blame the guy, his line was long, second only to Doan


Defenseman Jim Vandermeer signing autographs


Right winger Petr Prucha chatting with a young fan


Left winger Taylor Pyatt and defenseman Adrian Aucoin signing autographs


Defenseman Sami Lepisto is the Yotes sole Olympian medalist. He brought home the bronze with Team Finland


Tough guys Paul Bissonnette and Ed Jovanovski signing autographs

Overall, this was an amazing event. I was greatly impressed by the Coyotes players in attendance as well as the rest of the Coyotes staff. I was also impressed by the fans that I had the opportunity to talk to while standing in the player lines. The hockey market might be small in the desert, but there are fans out there who are very devoted to their team. And there is a very appreciative franchise that goes above and beyond to thank them for their support.

Ducks at Phoenix, vs Coyotes

Yours truly was working through this game as well. I remembered to set the VCR this time; however, after hearing our hometown heroes get completely blanked by the Desert Dogs, I had no desire whatsoever to watch the tape.

All I have to say is, why the heck didn't J.S. Giguere start? Ducks played a game the night before, a very vigorous game in low-oxygen Denver, and had to deal with a snow storm when they left the city. They got into Phoenix late the next day, and I'm sure the lack of rest didn't help our boys any at all.

Not that I'm trying to make excuses for our Ducks' poor performance, but when the freshest players on your roster are your healthy scratches and your alternate goalie, wouldn't you think you'd at least start that goalie??

I mean, Jonas Hiller doesn't exactly have the best back-to-back record, but even if he had, I would much rather see a rested goalie behind a tired defense.

I guess Hiller has the better record against the Coyotes, but not anymore... not with a shutout against him. He was changed out for Giguere about halfway through the third, but Jiggy still let in a goal by Robert Lang.

This one is better left forgotten. Rest up boys, enjoy your Christmas and bring it against the Sharks come Saturday.

Ducks vs Phoenix Coyotes

"ILYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

Ah, the sounds of a hockey game. The fan in front of me was busy heckling Coyotes' goalie Ilya Bryzgalov before puck drop. Not that a little heckling ever hurt anyone, but Bryz has had quite a run with the Yotes this season. He's up in the top five in the league as far as goalies go, and as an ex-Duck, I couldn't be happier for him.

Well, maybe I could be if we still had him in a Ducks sweater.

No matter, I love our goalies plenty. It was going to be Jonas Hiller in net, and that's comforting considering Hiller's record against the Coyotes. But tonight, everyone was going to have to step up. Ducks need every two points they can scrape together, especially against fellow Pacific Division foes.


Hiller was caught smiling during the anthem. Perhaps he saw Kyle Chipchurra's helmet hit the ice

I'm happy to see our boys skating well in the first, with a number of shots on goal, however nothing getting past Bryz despite back-to-back power plays. The Coyotes are looking just a bit sharper than our Ducks, fighting just a bit harder for those pucks, but they too can't capitalize on their power plays.

There's a change to the Coyote big line. Matthew Lombardi and Scottie Upshall are still there, but the third forward position is now being filled by Shane Doan. As if there was any way of making that deadly line even deadlier!


Captain Scott Niedermayer and Chipchurra attempting to shut down Lombardi and Upshall

The first goal of the game goes to Anaheim, as Mike Brown is able to be Johnny-On-the-Spot for a Petteri Nokeleinen bid that's saved by Bryz's blocker. The rebound lands in the slot and Mikey is there to chip it over the goalie's leg pads.


Mikey with the first goal

Something that has bothered me about our hometown heroes' play, and still bothers me. Why do our Ducks take so much time clearing the puck? The penalty kill has picked up tremendously, but when we aren't on the PK, I notice guys continually shooting behind the home net. Why? WHY??

Going into the second, Hiller has come up phenomenally, keeping the game 1-0. But eventually, Doan slams one home and evens up the score.

Less than a minute later, Chimichanga receives a feed from Matt Belesky at the point, and he beats Bryz point-blank with a nice backhander.


The boys celebrate Chimi's first as a Duck

By the way, big props to Belesky, who is looking awesome in this game. He's got some big physical play with strong hits and forechecks. Keep it up, Matt!

Then, the Yotes' Ed Jovanovski gets a penalty for holding. Our boys achieve some sweet tape-to-tape passing, eventually getting the puck to Getzy on the left wing, who walks it in and fires, beating Bryz short-side.

Ducks take their 3-1 lead into the second intermission.



If anyone thought Dan Sexton's skills were just a flash in the pan, they haven't actually seen this boy skate. He has a way of finding open ice. And he does it with such speed that he's almost always able to get a shot off. His shots on goal numbers are amazing, and his pucks are like homing rockets... never missing by much.
Early in the third, Ducks make a crucial mistake. A turnover in the defensive zone ends up behind Hiller, and the Yotes close the gap to one goal.

Not that we've let up offensively, Bryz has just stepped up and made a number of awesome saves of his own. It's like a battle of the goalies!

But then, the Yotes start getting desperate and start taking penalties. Jovo in the box once, twice, three times...

And on that third time, it would be my boy Bobby Ryan who would net a goal with only 20 seconds left in regulation, a beautiful tip-in from in front of the crease.


Jovo, #55, should've been awarded one of the Ducks three stars, two of his penalties led to power play goals for our boys

It's a great game for Ducks fans, without a single point going to the losing Pacific Division team. Wish we'd see more of these!


Well-deserved, Hiller gets the first star of the game

Ducks vs Phoenix Coyotes

Yours truly had been originally planning to race home after work today, and plant myself in front of my computer to type up this post as I listened to the radio feed of the game. Neither team is televising this game, and it would have been interesting to write a picture-less post without a visual reference.

But I'll have to save that experience for a different day, as a Duck buddy of mine came up huge with an extra ticket only a few hours before the game.

You've probably guessed that the Phoenix Coyotes are one of my significant other teams (the Pittsburgh Penguins being the other), so any matchup between a significant other and my spouse team is sure to be met by mixed feelings. But my Ducks severely need points right now, and the Phoenix Coyotes have a few to spare (I'm doing a double take just typing that sentence).

So, let the anthem of this game be "Let's Go Ducks!!"


'Stach power!

As the game is starting, it's noted that Kyle Calder is out with a bloody eye injury obtained during practice when he took a puck to the face. His vision is intact but he's expected to be out 2-4 weeks. Consequently, Matt Belesky is back out with the boys.

As a whole, our boys don't seem to be playing with as concerted an effort as they did in Friday's remarkable contest against the Chicago Blackhawks, but they putting in some good effort. I thought our defense looked a little clumsy out there against one of the Coyotes' top lines (consisting of dynamic duo Lombardi and Upshall), and that could potentially be a big mistake.


Faceoff at center ice on the Ducks "D"

Nevertheless, J.S. Giguere got the start again in this game, and looks quite excellent with his sharp saves.

We go into the first intermission without any points for either side.


Ducks with some good offensive plays, keeping the Yotes on their toes

Ducks improve their game in the second, possessing the puck for extended periods of time. The forecheck looks strong. Phoenix loses a man on a hooking penalty call, and Anaheim's lethal power play takes advantage. It's Ryan Getzlaf with the goal, Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer get the assists.

Speaking of Teemu, that second line is really coming together. You can literally see the chemistry smoking on the ice!


How old is that Finnish Flash again? 29?

The zebras are liberal with their penalty calls tonight, with both teams taking turns in the sin bin. However, there are no goals during the second period, and we go into the third leading 1-0, but with 53 seconds of penalty time left to kill.

The Coyotes came back for the third, but our Ducks took a little too long to get back into the game. Not sure if they lost their focus or if they were tired, but it looked like a team that had checked out 20 minutes too early.

One of Anaheim's best defensive highlights occurs when James Wisniewski decides to try his hand between the pipes for a spell. Jiggy is out of position after a puck bounces straight into the air off of him. As it falls back to the painted ice behind our netminder, Wiz is seen flying through the crease to bat the puck safely away. Amazing play, and the fans scream their approval as the replay is shown in glorious slow motion on the big screen.

Jiggy continues with some great saves, but so does ex-Duck Ilya Bryzgalov at the opposite end. Lack of a tight defense forces Jiggy to make some sprawling saves that leave him horribly out of position for rebound bids. It's just a matter of time before the Yotes tie things up.


Hey Wiz, don't let guys like Upshall camp out in your goalie's crease!

Running on that momentum, the Yotes continue to come on strong. Unfortunately, the extended space between our Ducks defense and the Yotes top lines that I noticed in the first period comes back to bite us. Lombardi does some skillful skating through the crease, leaving a puck behind Jiggy as the dust settles.


Captains Niedermayer and Doan battling for the puck

Anaheim ends up taking a questionable penalty five minutes later as Teemu and Yotes' Upshall exchange words after a play. Somehow Teemu gets a 2-minute roughing penalty and Upshall skates away with nothing. Tough call for the Ducks, but they manage to kill it and build on that momentum to bring the equalizer with less than two minutes left in regulation.

Corey Perry gets the puck to Nick Boynton who fires at the net from inside the blue line. My boy Bobby Ryan gets his stick on it to tip it in. HUGE goal for the Ducks, and another assist for Perry who has now officially broken Teemu's record for longest franchise point streak.

We take this baby into overtime.

But only a little over one minute into overtime before the Yotes manage to strike first, and steal the two points. It'll be an overtime loss, and a single point, for our Ducks who have one game remaining in this seven-game homestand.

Ducks vs Phoenix Coyotes

Not wanting to jinx anything, I went into Saturday's contest against the visiting Phoenix Coyotes hoping our Ducks would play just as well as they had been of late, to string together a second win. But I didn't say anything.

No mention of how good our second line was starting to look, as they've appeared to have finally found each other. No mention of how red hot Corey Perry has been. No mention when Jonas Hiller puts on his very best performance between the pipes. I did point out the irony that Ducks D-man James Wisniewski would be returning to the ice for the first time since the two-game suspension he received for his CLEAN hit on Yotes' captain Shane Doan.

As good as our boys are playing now, it still does sit badly in the minds of numerous Duck fans, that we started off this season in last place. I hope we can make up for a horrible October with a stellar November and December.

For the game against Phoenix, I was blessed with a ticket right behind the players benches. I will say it's definitely an experience to be had by any fan at least once. I was mere feet away from the players, which lent for some awesome photo opportunities; however, I couldn't see anything as far as the game went.

I do know that goals went to Teemu Selanne in the 1st, my boy Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry in the 2nd, and Mike Brown in the 3rd. Our Ducks went into the final 15 minutes of the game with a 4-0 shutout, but then they decided to give us fans a scare by allowing Phoenix to score three times in ten minutes!

Luckily, the Yotes weren't able to net an equalizer and the Ducks would take the win, and two much-needed points, 4-3. Hopefully the momentum from a couple of wins at home will carry over onto the road, where our boys will play four games before coming back home for an extended homestand through the end of November.

And now for those pictures!

Ducks at Phoenix, vs Coyotes

Right after our hometown heroes' landslide win against the Canucks, they were aboard a plane to Arizona, scheduled to compete against the Phoenix Coyotes the following night.

Never having had a good history with the second game of a back-to-back, it was going to be tough for our boys to prove that last night's win was more than a lucky fluke. I am proud to say, however, that our boys held their own Saturday night against a young hockey club with zero pressure to produce wins and a hot goalie between the pipes.

They were able to pull a shootout loss and one point from the game, despite looking completely gassed through much of the third period. The game was chippy and uber-physical right from the start, and yours truly had a feeling our boys would not be able to last all 60 minutes.

George Parros dropped gloves with Bissonette and, following a hit on Coyotes' Captain Shane Doan, James Wisniewski and Doan would take matters into their own hands. Wiz would later receive a two-game suspension for that hit.

Neither Corey Perry nor Teemu Selanne could get pucks past Ilya Bryzgalov on their shootout bids, but both scored in regulation for the Ducks two goals of the game.

Perry found net on the power play, slipping a puck past Bryz that came to him in the crease. Selanne's slap shot goal squirted through Bryz and gave the Ducks the lead for a very short 18 seconds before Fiddler would net the equalizer.

In my humble opinion, I think we would have gotten a goal in that shootout if coach Randy Carlyle had put in my boy Bobby Ryan instead of Ryan Getzlaf. As good as Getzy is at shooting, I feel our star forward just isn't playing up to his potential. He has looked slow and awkward on the ice this entire season, as if pain from that summer hernia surgery is still bothering him.

Jonas Hiller did a great job on the other end of the ice, disproving previous records that he can't deliver on a second game of a back-to-back. He stood on his head to keep his team in this game.

Our Ducks will take two days off before hosting the Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins at home on Tuesday.

Coyotes vs Columbus Blue Jackets (road trip)

,While our hometown heroes were making a monumental comeback in Philadelphia, yours truly and fellow Ducks Twitter pal @vegasjeff had completed a 6-hour trek through the desert to sunny Glendale Arizona, home of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Yes, I know this is an Anaheim Ducks blog, but I'm all about promoting our wonderful sport in general, and even more so because I'm a little soft towards our controversial ice boys in the desert. Besides, a good promotion is a good promotion, and $25 lower bowl seats + t-shirt at Jobing.com Arena for their "Welcome Back Whiteout" is no laughing matter.

The Whiteout home opener versus the Columbus Blue Jackets had sold out days ago. There were limited standing room tickets available, but you'd be hard pressed to get your hands on them. Before the game, the area outside the arena was busy with a live band, radio and television coverage, and tons of fans dressed in Coyote jerseys. It was actually quite impressive.


Festivities abound celebrating the Coyotes home opener

Entering the arena, each ticketholder was given a white "Welcome Back Whiteout" Coyote t-shirt. The effect of all those white shirts in the stands was breathtaking. I'd love to see our Ducks do something similar someday.


Bobbyhead's wearing his white and eagerly waiting for puck drop!


Introducing your 2009-10 Phoenix Coyotes



For what it's worth, the Coyotes played a good game, but they just couldn't buy a goal. They hit posts, crossbars, and had a goal waved off... it wasn't going to be. Ex-Duck Ilya Bryzgalov looked sharp in net but the Yotes would get shutout in their home opener, 0-2.


My personal favorite, Matthew Lombardi at the faceoff dot with none other than ex-Duck Samuel Pahlsson


Yotes and Jackets mixin' it up after the whistle

I also have to give a nod to the Coyotes fans in attendance. They packed the stands, they cheered, they were constantly on their feet with rallying cries of "Let's go Yotes!" These were true hockey fans, and they had hope for their boys even down to the last second. You could feel the energy in the air. To anyone who had any doubts, hockey DOES have a strong fan base in the desert.


Such an incredible crowd!


Bobbyhead showed his support for the desert dogs too. Next time, he wants the opportunity to howl after a Yote goal... unless he's playing, of course.