Posted by 
Just a short month ago, the Phoenix Coyotes were in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference as they were battling with 10-12 other teams for playoff positioning in the top 8 of the conference.
However, a short time later they are now in a free fall. They have only four wins since the All Star Break, with their most recent loss coming at the hands of the Devils this past Thursday by a final score of 5-2 ending a road trip where they gained 3 points out of a possible 10.
I said before that this road trip was going to determine the season for the Coyotes. I thought they may have been able to bounce back if they did well on the trip but at this point, the 2008-2009 season for the Phoenix Coyotes went from promising to an absolute disaster. What started out as a team that had the potential of a high powered offense is the lowest scoring team in the NHL with only 168 goals for.
The Olli Jokinen experiment didn’t work out as hoped and he was shipped out at the deadline after Phoenix gave up a valuable asset in Keith Ballard to get him. Ilya Bryzgalov as a full time starter has not been consistent and seems to struggle most of the time. The offense, as mentioned is anemic at best, and being down by two goals is a mountain for this team when for others it would only be considered a mole hill.
The coaching situation has gotten to the point where fans like myself are praying and begging that General Manager Don Maloney makes a change behind the bench and gets Gretzky up in the owners’ suite where he belongs. It was a good effort Wayne but it hasn’t worked. Take notice and step aside. Coaches that have been fired this year have had more wins than the Phoenix Coyotes and lost their jobs. Men such as Tom Renney of the Rangers, Guy Carbonneau of the Canadiens, Denis Savard of the Blackhawks, and Peter Laviolette of the Hurricanes were all let go when their teams were doing much better than Phoenix has in the past and this season. It doesn’t and shouldn’t take a brain surgeon to see that coaching is a major problem for this team as night after night, they look ill prepared to go up against the teams they do.
What was supposed to be a year of promise and potential has turned into one of disaster and turmoil for Coyote fans. Whether it is the on ice play of the team or the financial state of the team, 2008-2009 is certainly a year that Coyote fans would love to forget very soon. If any positive is going to be taken out of the season, it will be at the NHL Entry Draft in June.
The way things are going, maybe the Coyotes will get a chance to make all the misery worth it, as impossible as it seems that could happen.
Some Other Articles That You May Enjoy:
Shark Bait? Coyotes Head Into Shark Tank
Phoenix Coyotes
Coyotes Look For First Win Post-All Star Break
So….THIS is What a Winning Streak Feels Like!
Moldy Wing Dings: It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, It’s Marian Gaborik!
Coyotes Rip Canucks 4-1 in Roberto Luongo’s Return
We hope you enjoyed this post. As always, leaving a comment below is both appreciated and encouraged. Thanks!
