SB Nation - Viktor Tikhonov

Monday Links: Where I still want to know why a piece of clothing is a good name for a sports team edition

averagejoe — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:00:13 -0000

Just got finished eating a delayed Thanksgiving dinner. Mmmm turkey ...

Blues news

The Blues take on the Blue Jackets in Columbus. [Blues]
For Blue Jackets news, visit The Cannon. [The Cannon]
That's about it for today. Anything important breaks, I'll edit this.

Hockey news

Last night's results plus tomorrow's schedule. [TSN]
Here are your standings. We're No. 12! [TSN]
Milan Lucic is getting a little Carlo Colaiacovo syndrome. [ESPN]
Who had Nov. 29 in the Martin Havlat injury pool? Please claim your prize. [ESPN]
Ales Hemsky is done for the season. [ESPN]
Patrick Kaleta is suspended for two games. Seriously, the NHL's suspension policy is the most convoluted thing. [ESPN]
Ryan Miller: He's good. [Die by the Blade]
David Jones was having a breakout season. And then his ACL went snap. [Mile High Hockey]
Team Russia general manager Vladislav Tretiak says his team will be half NHLers and half KHL players. [CTV Olympics]
Speaking of the KHL, another soft Russian is heading to the league. Viktor Tikhonov has left the Coyotes farm club. [TSN]

Other links

Twitter billboard gets some folks in hot water. [Florida News Center]
The most awesome things on the internet. [Urlesque]
I could use a new sleeping bag. Anyone want to get me the bear one ... or the bag suit. [The Toy Zone]
I love The Simpson's, but I never thought I'd see a Web site devoted to Bart writing on a chalkboard. [Bart's Blackboard]

Video

So on Saturday I went to a local watering hole, some may call it a "townie bar." The bar had live music that was ungodly loud (get off my lawn!). But, at one point, the band brought a 14-year-old kid up to drum. In a bar. At midnight on a Saturday. The kid jammed out to some Rush and it's been stuck in my head ever since. Enjoy.

Game Day Thread tonight. Be there. gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

UPDATE: Tikhonov "loaned" to KHL, will play for Red Army

zyllyx — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:51:17 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, left, cannot keep Phoenix Coyotes right winger Viktor Tikhonov, right, of Latvia, from poking the puck in the net for the game-winning goal in the shootout period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. Tikhonov allegedly has returned to Russia to play out the season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with CSKA Moscow. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Browse more photos »

UPDATE @ 11/28/09, 5:00pm MST: The Coyotes' website states that Tikhonov was "loaned" to the KHL, presumably in the same way a prospect player is "loaned" back to his junior team which holds his rights. The loan is only valid until the end of the 2009-2010 season.

Phoenix Coyotes' prospect Viktor Tikhonov has left the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League for the greener pastures - and bank accounts - of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Tikhonov is the second high-profile NHL prospect defection to the KHL in as many weeks, following on the heels of Nikita Filatov's public departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

There is currently a dispute between the CSKA Red Army team and Severstal Cherepovets over which team holds the young prospect's rights. It is likely that CSKA will forfeit draft picks to acquire Tikhonov's rights to enable him to play for the Red Army squad.

The move is something of a surprise considering that Tikhonov's own stated intentions were to remain in the Coyotes' system until he achieved his goal of becoming an NHL regular. However, the Rampage are in a significant streak of consecutive defeats and have just fired their head coach; combined with the significant increase in tax-free salary money available in the KHL, there is certainly plenty of motivation for Tikhonov to return home to play.

Interestingly, Tikhonov's player card has been removed from the "Future Coyotes" section of the official Coyotes website, although his stats remain online there as well as at the San Antonio Rampage website.

The most likely scenario is that Tikhonov will finish the season with CSKA before returning to North America next year to attempt to make the Coyotes' roster out of training camp.

The young native of Riga, Latvia spent most of his upbringing in California, where his father Vasily was employed as a coach with the San Jose Sharks franchise. His grandfather Viktor is a Russian hockey legend and former coach of the Soviet National Team.

Tikhonov, the Coyotes' 28th overall selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, played in 61 games with the Coyotes last season, posting 8-8-16, a -3 and 20 PIM. For the Rampage this season, Tikhonov accumulated 2-6-8, +5 and 12 PIM.

Viktor Tikhonov

#41 / Right Wing / Phoenix Coyotes

Height: 6-2

Weight: 187

Born: May 12, 1988

SBNation NHL Preview: 2009-2010 Phoenix Coyotes

OdinMercer — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:00:33 -0000

by Matt York - AP

April 11, 2010: Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan talks about how he helped lead the Phoenix Coyotes into the 6th Seed in the Western Conference... Hopefully.

View full size photo »

The struggles of this NHL franchise in the desert have been well documented all summer long. We're still waiting for a decision as to the long term future of the team, but they're here for this season and all the speculation in the world won't change a preview of the team will it? (No, it won't) We're just one short week away from the season opener so now it's down to the nuts and bolts of what the on ice product is going to look like.

The upside of this team is that with the exception of Olli Jokinen and some fourth line forwards and 5/6 pairing Dmen, this is the same team that went into the All-Star break in 5th place in the Western Conference. The team promptly fell apart after the break with all the rumors about the financial troubles and the general lack of experience. With some more mid-aged experience to bridge the gap between the veteran and the kids, there really is a lot of potential for a breakout year.

Amid all the uncertainty this summer, just on Thursday the Coyotes signed a new head coach in the form of Dave Tippett following Wayne Gretzky's resignation. Tippett brings with him a proven system that has proven results in Dallas. While he's a little late to the party in terms of training camp, there's a lot of talent for him to work with here in Phoenix. This biggest question mark with this team is how they'll react to all the media that will be focused on them, especially at the beginning of the season. If they're able to turn it into an us against the world type of situation then we could have a strong start. If, on the other hand, they react like they did down the stretch last season and turn all that inward and implode it'll be a disaster. There's not a whole lot of room for error this year as the team needs to show outside observers and potential fans in the valley that the team is the real deal.

Without a whole lot of budget room to work with this summer, GM Don Maloney put together a pretty decent lineup. He did especially well filling in the defensive holes that have plagued the team the last few years. The spots that had been held by any combination of Ken Klee, Dimitri Kalinin and David Hale have now been filled with Adrian Aucoin and Jim Vandermeer. Aucoin has some offensive ability but is a good puckmover, while Vandermeer is all about defense. Along with the existing defense of Zbynek Michalek, Kurt Sauer, Ed Jovanovski and Keith Yandle this year's blueline pairs look solid.

At Forward, some of the youth has been sent down to San Antonio already to get a little more experience. Viktor Tikhonov and Kyle Turris are the biggest names to be sent to the farm. Turris needs to just grow since he's a small little twig man and Tikhonov just needs more experience. He had a solid time on the PK with the big club last year, but he had a weak camp and needs more time to develop. I expect to see both at times this year though. In Camp Brett MacLean and Kevin Porter have both played well and will Challenge for a roster spot. MacLean tore up the OHL in the 06-07 and 07-08 seasons (going 47-53-100 and 61-58-119 respectively) before moving to the AHL last year. In 74 games on a pretty bad San Antonio team he was able to go 21-19-40. If he can bring some scoring touch to the team that would be great. Most of the roster though is already set. Shane Doan will once again captain the team and be his usual awesome self.Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal are now entering their third seasons. Both will be looking for new contracts this summer and both need to pick up their games to get good ones. Mueller hit the Sophomore slump HARD and needs to find his scoring touch again. Hanzal was a solid Defensive forward, and had flashes of offense here and there last season. He needs to simply shoot the puck though, he has a cannon of a shot, but he tends to pass a little too much when he has chances. Other notables are Mikkel Boedker who had a pretty good rookie year, Radim Vrbata, who returns to the club and Scottie Upshall who needs to deliver on the potential everyone says he has.

Ilya Bryzgalov will continue to hold down the starting spot this season. Jason LaBarbera was brought in to back him up, but i'm not seeing anything in LaBarbera that makes me think he's going to give Bryz the competition everyone thinks he needs. Bryz has been on the decline, but with this year's defensive unit he needs to show he can get the job done.

Who's in: C Vernon Fiddler, LW Lauri Korpikoski, D Adrian Aucoin, D Jim Vandermeer, LW Taylor Pyatt, RW Radim Vrbata, D Sami Lepisto, G Jason LaBarbera, D Shaun Heshka,

Who's Out: Enver Lisin, Nigel Dawes, Brandon Prust, Brian McGrattan, Steven Reinprecht, Joakim Lindstrom, Demitri Kalinin, Ken Klee, David Hale, Todd Fedoruk

Who's Up?: (Players up from AHL) Brett MacLean, Kevin Porter and David Schlemko

Who's Down?: (Demotions) Kyle Turris and Viktor Tikhonov

Depth Chart:

C - Matthew Lombardi, Martin Hanzal, Vernon Fiddler, Kevin Porter, Daniel Winnik

LW - Mikkel Boedker, Lauri Korpokoski, Petr Prucha, Taylor Pyatt, Brett MacLean

RW - Shane Doan, Peter Mueller, Scottie Upshall, Radim Vrbata,

D - Zbynek Michalek, Kurt Sauer, Ed Jovanovski, Keith Yandle, Adrian Aucoin, Jim Vandermeer

G - Ilya Bryzgalov, Jason LaBarbera, Al Montoya

Season Prediction: The Coyotes make it into the playoffs. Why? Because they have to. It's the only end that makes sense for this crappy story so far. I'm not saying we win the division or anything crazy like that, but bringing in Tippett and an honest to god system instead of an ever changing one can only do good things for this team. Like I said earlier, this team is packed with potential. We saw small parts of that potential realized in the first part of last season. The key is to keep it going through April and hopefully into May. I think Tippett is able to get them to do just that. He brings the mustache back and leads the Coyotes to a 7th place finish in the West and at least make the playoffs interesting. Feel good story of the year and everything. David Shoalts and Canadian media outlets complain about how our playoff spot wasn't given to Edmonton automatically.

Poll

Where in the Western Conference standings do you think the Phoenix Coyotes will finish in the 2009-2010 season?

1st

5 votes

2nd

3 votes

3rd

2 votes

4th

2 votes

5th

8 votes

6th

12 votes

7th

14 votes

8th

15 votes

9th

6 votes

10th

3 votes

11th

0 votes

12th

7 votes

13th

4 votes

14th

7 votes

15th (Banned)

17 votes

105 votes | Poll has closed

Coyotes Open Training Camp Practices Start Today

OdinMercer — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 07:00:28 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

The Great One won't be the one leading camp this year.

Browse more photos »

Officially camp actually started yesterday, but the first public practices start today at 9:00 am. Here's a look at those invited to camp this year. There are a few names in there that you might recognize from around the league that have not signed with the Coyotes. Ryan Hollweg formerly with Toronto, Aaron Downey from Detroit, Ross Lupaschuk from Anaheim and the KHL and Mitch Fritz from the Islanders. None of them have particularly impressive resumes, but I imagine they're trying out for the position of "Hey someone got hurt, call us up from San Antonio."

Wayne Gretzky, doesn't look to be coming to camp as of today, Ulf Samuellson will be leading in his place. With Wayne's contract situation in the air due to the bankruptcy mess, he simply decided he wasn't going to be there. But I guess Coyotes fans will be getting what a large portion of them had wanted for some time, Wayne out as head coach.

I'll update and repost the list as cuts are made.

Forwards		Defence		Goaltenders
Justin Bernhardt	Mikkel Boedker	Jonas Ahnelov	Nick Ross	Ilya Bryzgalov
Jeff Hoggan	Peter Mueller	Adrian Aucoin	Ed Jovanovski	Joel Gistedt
Kevin Porter	Taylor Pyatt	Shaun Heshka	Michael Stone	Josh Tordjman
Matt Watkins	Scottie Upshall	Chris Frank	Ross Lupaschuk	Jason LaBarbera
David Spina	Francis Lessard	Mathieu Brodeur	Zbynek Michalek	Al Montoya
Vernon Fiddler	Mitch Fritz	Sean Sullivan	Kurt Sauer
Martin Hanzal	Ryan Hollweg	Sean Zimmerman	Sami Lepisto
Lauri Korpikoski	Jordan Szwarz	Tim Billingsley	Keith Yandle
Daniel Winnik	Radim Vrbata	Justin Weller	Jim Vandermeer
Viktor Tikhonov	Andrew Orpik	David Schlemko	Jeff May
Colin Long	Aaron Downey
Shane Doan	Chad Kolarik
Matthew Lombardi	Brett MacLean
Stefan Meyer	Joel Perrault
Petr Prucha	Jared Staal
Kyle Turris

The History of all Other First Round 28th Overall Picks of the NHL Draft

Matthew Dirt — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:29:07 -0000

Draft day is now less than a week away - Here's a look at how things would be going if the SBN hockey bloggers were GMs:

1. New York Islanders (Lighthouse Hockey) - John Tavares, London (OHL)
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (Raw Charge) - Victor Hedman, Modo (Swe)
3. Colorado Avalanche (Mile High Hockey) - Matt Duchene, Brampton (OHL)
4. Atlanta Thrashers (Bird Watchers Anonymous) - Evander Kane, Vancouver (WHL)
5. Los Angeles Kings (Battle of California) - Brayden Schenn, Brandon (WHL)
6. Phoenix Coyotes (Five For Howling) - Jared Cowen, Spokane (WHL)
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (Pension Plan Puppets) - Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi (Swe)
8. Dallas Stars (Defending Big D) - Oliver Ekman-Larssen (Swe-2)
9. Ottawa Senators (Silver Seven) - Nazem Kadri (OHL)
10. Edmonton Oilers (Copper & Blue) – Ryan Ellis (OHL)
11. Nashville Predators (On The Forecheck) – Jordan Schroeder (NCAA)
12. Minnesota Wild (Hockey Wilderness) – Zach Budish (USHS)
13. Buffalo Sabres (Die By The Blade) – Zack Kassian (OHL)
14. Florida Panthers (Litter Box Cats) – Louis Leblanc (USHL)
15. Anaheim Ducks (Battle of California) – Dmitri Kulikov (QMJHL)
16. Columbus Blue Jackets (The Cannon) – David Rundblad (Swe)
17. St. Louis Blues (St. Louis Game Time) – Chris Kreider (USHS)
18. Montreal Canadiens (Eyes On The Prize) – Scott Glennie (WHL)

So we're getting closer to when we'll have to pick. This year will mark the first time the Blackhawks have drafted in the 28th spot (as a first rounder) since the Atlanta Thrashers were added to the NHL as the 28th team in 1999. For some prespective on what we can look for, here's a look at all the other first-round 28th overall picks plus the Hawks pick for that year.

And yes, I'm totally stealing this idea from Canes Country because I really like it.

1999:

Islanders - Kristian Kudroc - D

Kudroc played only 26 games in the NHL, 24 with the Lightning in '00-'01 and '01-'02 and a final two in '03-'04 with the Panthers. He scored 2 career goals and 2 assists. After his last cup of coffee in the NHL he's gone back to European leagues and was even named Player of the Year in the '05-'06 Season by his team's fan club.

Blackhawks - Steve McCarthy - D (23rd)

McCarthy started off well - grabbing an assist on his first shift in the NHL but didn't do much more. He was traded to the Canucks for a third rounder, then to the Thrashers for a conditional fourth-rounder. This past season he played 18 games in the KHL.

Other notable first-rounders: The Sedins were taken 2nd and 3rd overall by the Canucks - now the Nucks get to decide if they're worth $126 Million. Havlat was taken two pics before Kudroc, 26th overall by the Senators.

2000:

Flyers - Justin Williams - RW

Williams played 3 seasons with the Flyers before being traded to the Hurricanes during the '03-'04 season in exchange for Danny Markov. After that season, Williams signed a one-year extension deal and proceeded to score a career high in points, including the game icing goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This year Williams was traded from the Hurricanes to the Kings.

Blackhawks - Mikhail Yakubov - C (10th)

Yakubov played 30 games for the Hawks in '03-'04 getting 8 points and a -12 rating. He played 10 more for the Hawks in '05-'06 before being waived and claimed by the Panthers. In 2007 Yaukbov won the Turnir Puchkova with the Severstal Cherepovets... umm.. thanks Wikipedia.

also, Pavel Vorobiev - RW (11th From Canucks)

The Hawks also had the rights to the Canucks first round pick that year - they used it to pick another real winner in Vorobiev who did have 25 points in 57 games but left to return to Russia after claiming that Americans, and the Blackhawks especially, had a bias against Russians. Sure, whatever you say Comrade

Other notable first-rounders. Rick DiPietro, Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik were taken 1-2-3 by the Islanders, Thrashers and Wild. Marian Hossa's brother, Marcel was taken 16th overall - He hasn't won a cup either.

2001:

Devils -Adrian Foster - C

Foster has yet to play in the NHL. He's made the rounds in the AHL before switching to a league in Austria for the '08-09 season where he had 43 points in 52 games. So there's some encouragement that the Blackhawks aren't the only ones to screw up the first round.

Blackhawks - Tuomo Ruutu - C-RW (9th)

Ruutu should be a familiar name for most Hawk fans as he was one of the fan favorites before being traded in exchange for Andrew Ladd in the '07-08 season. The trade has worked out well for both organizations and players as Ladd is getting high marks in our recent review and Ruutu set career highs in Goals, Points and got his first taste of the playoffs this year going to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Canes.

2002:

Avalanche - Jonas Johansson - RW

Johansson was drafted by the Avs but traded to the Capitals with Bates Battaglia for Steve Konowalchuck and Washington's 3rd round pick. Johansson made it into one game with the Capitals where he managed just over 4 minutes on the ice and two minutes in the penalty box.

Blackhawks - Anton Babchuk - D (21st)

Babchuk played 22 games with the Blackhawks before being traded to the Hurricanes in exchange for Danny Richmond. Babchuk won the Stanley Cup that year and Richmond was traded in 2008 for Tim Brent. Babchuk still plays for the Hurricanes along with Ruutu.

2003:

Ducks (From Stars) - Corey Perry - RW

Perry played 3 decent if not solid years with the Ducks before really breaking out this past season. Perry set career highs in goals and assists - and became part of one of the more dominating lines in the NHL when he was matched up with Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. Those three were almost unstoppable in the playoffs and a large part of the reason the Ducks to the Wings to seven games. Perry is a big name in a first round that was absolutely loaded with talent.

Blackhawks - Brent Seabrook - D (14th)

Do I really need to tell you about Biscuit? - Just check out his season review here.

2004:

Dallas - Mark Fistric - D

Fistric has played 73 games for the Stars and has managed 6 assists. Fristric is still a work in progress for the Stars but has good potential. According to Hockeys Future:

He has a strong work ethic and is a leader for any team he plays on. A simple, but decidedly physical, game is the most effective use of Fistric.

Interesting to note though that the Capitals were able to take Norris Trophy nominee (but not winner) Mike Green with the 29th overall pick in 2004.

Blackhawks - Cam Barker - D (3rd)

Another player you don't need much of a reminder on. His review is here. What you think of Barker may largely be tied to what you think of Campbell. While stronger on his defensive responsibilities than Campbell, Barker is still a puck-moving defenseman and could be expendable depending on the money he's going to be asking for this offseason, but that's an arugument for another post...

2005:

Dallas - Matt Niskanen - D

Niskanen has played with the Stars for the last two seasons grabbing 61 points but also fluctuating his +/- rating with a +22 his rookie year and a -11 last season. That could be that the Stars had a bad year this season but Defending Big D wasn't totally sold on him - Brandon gave him a D- rating halfway through the season. Seems Niskanen turned around his season and became a strong presence on the blue line.

Blackhawks - Jack Skille - RW (7th)

Jury is still out on Skille. He only made the Hawks roster for 8 games this year, scoring one goal. In Rockford though he scored 45 points in 58 games. As a winger, Skille could add some much needed size to the roster. Skille hasn't had a great chance to show what he can do but depending on how the cap works out, this could be his year.

2006:

Ottawa - Nick Foligno - LW

The son of former NHLer Mike Foligno, in his first full season with the Senators this season, Foligno had 32 points and -10 rating. Not great but not terrible. The scouting report on Nick is that he's a tough player, willing to pay the price in front of the net or go to the corners but needs to add size. He could turn out to be a good power forward but probably not as good as his father (who had 355 NHL goals).

Blackhawks - Jonathan Toews - C (3rd)

The Captain - The future of this franchise. Not much more needs to be said.

2007:

Sharks (From Buffalo via Washington) - Nick Petrecki - D

Petrecki has yet to play in the NHL as he's still skating at Boston College. He doesn't score many points but is a good solid blue liner. From Hockey's Future:

Petrecki is a classic American defenseman. He is has good size, he hits very hard, and he has a very heavy shot. Petricki is a big mobile defenseman, has NHL size, and is known for his physical play. He's a good skater who sees the ice well and can move the puck effectively. He has offensive but has spent the last year or so working on his defensive game and positioning.

Blackhawks - Patrick Kane - RW (1st)

The Blackhawks first ever first number one pick overall - we're all very familiar with him.

2008:

Coyotes (from Dallas via LA via Anaheim) - Viktor Tikhonov - RW

Viktor shares the name of his grandfather, the coach of the Soviet Union hockey team that lost to the ~~Kurt Russel~~ Herb Brooks led 1980 Olympic hockey team. In 2008 he finished the IIHF World Junior Championships with 5 goals, 2 assists in 7 games and was named the best forward on the Russian team. This past season he joined the Coyotes and had 16 points in 61 games. Five For Howling is impressed enough with him. Viktor is probably best known for being credited with a goal on a delayed penalty against him - watch

Blackhawks- Kyle Beach - LW (11th)

The Hawks took a bit of a gamble on Beach with the 11th overall pick in the last draft. His skill could have made him a much higher pick, but he's a headcase. He's going to stir up a lot of shit - it could pay off well for the Hawks or he could be a total cancer, we'll see. Besides being a professional asshole, Beach is also a skilled power forward adding size and "toughness".. well.. as long as he's not getting the shit kicked out of him or being suspended by his own team.

Grease the Tires and Light the Fires: Getting Ready for Next Season

Gootzman — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:58:55 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

8 months ago: Phoenix Coyotes right winger Mikkel Boedker, of Denmark, celebrates his goal with teammates against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

With the financial situation of the Phoenix Coyotes becoming clearer in recent days, General Manager Don Maloney has been able to draw a more accurate picture of what his plan will be for the organization this summer as the franchise looks to fill holes and get ready for next season.

The year was going well for the Phoenix Coyotes. They went into the All Star Break fighting for the 5th seed in the Western Conference, a spot they had not been familiar with since the 2001-2002 season when they finished 6th in the conference, one point behind the Chicago Blackhawks who owned the fifth seed. The situation was looking strong and Don Maloney was in line of getting the team into the playoffs for the first time since that year.

However, the team began to unravel. The Coyotes could not get going again and went on a stretch where they lost 12 of their next 15 games. They were held to one goal or less in 8 of those games, including being shut out in back to back games and a scoreless drought which spanned over 180 minutes, the equivalent of three games. Inconsistent and poor play on the part of many players contributed to the rapid decline as rookies could not find a scoring touch and the veterans were snake bitten. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov kept the team in many games but the inability to score on the Coyotes' part led to a padding of his loss column. When he failed, the team was doomed.

The trade deadline saw a better team coming together, winning five of their last seven games, but it was not enough as the team finished 13th in the Western Conference and out of a top five draft lottery spot.

There are many problems that this team needs to address and as I have mentioned throughout the season it starts behind the bench. Head Coach Wayne Gretzky and his staff are not the coaching staff needed to run this team. If this was a team of veteran players then Gretzky's approach may work but with such a young team, the players need someone who can teach and guide the team through good times and bad. Coaching experience is an aspect of the game that often gets overlooked but it is necessary for a team to succeed, especially if the situation involves a young team. There are a couple of candidates that should be considered by Don Maloney for the coaching position:

Peter Laviolette: With a Stanley Cup on his resume', Laviolette should be a man that is considered for the job. He worked hard in bringing a team that did not have alot of big names in the Carolina Hurricanes to the top of the league. Despite the lockout year between the Stanley Cup year and when they finished 11th, Laviolette led a team that had veterans but relied on young players to succeed. Eric Staal was 21 and led the team in scoring both for the regular season and the playoffs while rookie goaltender Cam Ward took over for the veteran Martin Gerber and was phenomenal in the crease during that playoff run. His aggressive style of play would allow for the Coyotes to use their speed more effectively.

He may be an obvious candidate but at this point anyone would be better than Wayne Gretzky and his staff behind the bench.

On the ice the Coyotes have some work to do in re-signing players this offseason, especially young ones. Steven Reinprecht has already been shipped out and signed by the Florida Panthers with the Coyotes receiving AHL player Stefan Meyer.

Two other names that are in the unrestricted pool for the Coyotes are two defenseman. Dmitri Kalinin was acquired at the deadline from the New York Rangers in the Derek Morris trade. He had four points for the Coyotes in his 15 games with the team and was solid on the back end as well. Depending on his price, Kalinin would provide depth to the blue line and some offensive abilities that may have been missing on the back end.

Ken Klee is the other defenseman. He was picked up off waiver during the season from the Anaheim Ducks. He may not be known for scoring points anymore, finishing with 11 points in 68 games but his work with young defenseman Keith Yandle helped his development tremendously on both sides of the puck. Klee may be getting up there in years but another year in the NHL to lead and teach a young blue line will provide a significant benefit to the growth of the young players on the blue line like Yandle and Zbynek Michalek.

It is on the restricted free agent front that the Coyotes management will be looking to spend the money they have in bringing back young players:

Scottie Upshall: Acquired from Philadelphia for Daniel Carcillo, Upshall provided a spark to the anemic offense of the Coyotes. In 19 games with Phoenix, he had 13 points, 8 goals and 5 assists. His speed was refreshing to watch as he drove to the net and his offensive abilities began to blossom. Phoenix did not have alot of fire power on the wings this season but Upshall will be looked at to make up for it next season. Don Maloney must sign Upshall.

Petr Prucha: The young sparkplug came over from the New York Rangers in the Derek Morris trade and he had an immediate impact on the team. His hardworking style of play got him 10 points, 2 goals and 8 assists, in 19 games with the Coyotes as he got time on the top line and on the power play. He has guts and a great work ethic, using it to score thirty goals in his rookie year with the Rangers. Many have questioned whether he could do it again. He has the offensive skills to do so but he needs the opportunity. In Phoenix he will get that opportunity and the Coyotes are hoping that it will pay off. Prucha provides more speed down the wing and needs to be re-signed. Resigned...2 year deal

Matthew Lombardi: A center acquired in the Olli Jokinen trade with Calgary, Lombardi was inserted into the top center spot on the team and had success finishing with 16 points, 5 goals and 11 assists, in 19 games with the Coyotes. Being stuck on lower lines in Calgary he was finally able to show his offensive abilities as he meshed well with Prucha and Upshall, forming a quick and skilled top line. Don Maloney was looking for established young players at the deadline and Lombardi is on the cusp of establishing himself as a skilled center in the NHL. He is another player who needs to be re-signed.

Enver Lisin: A Russian prospect who did not look to have a future in the NHL because of his lack of defensive play was developed by San Antonio Rampage Head Coach Greg Ireland, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Coyotes. Lisin was brought up and his offensive impact was felt as he finished with 21 points, 13 goals and 8 assists, in 48 games. His incredible speed down the wing helped him create offense and at times, he took over the play on the ice. His defensive play fell off towards the end of the season but a full year in the NHL will help him develop that and he can become an effective NHL scorer. In terms of skill his ceiling is very high and it needs to be developed. Bringing him back will add a whole new meaning of speed to the offensive attack of Phoenix. However, Maloney will have to compete with a recent KHL contract offered to the young Russian winger.

Joakim Lindstrom: Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks that sent defensive prospect Logan Stephenson the other way, Lindstrom was having trouble finding his place in the NHL, bouncing from the Columbus Blue Jackets, to the Ducks and finally Phoenix in a short amount of time. However in Phoenix Lindstrom did find his place as his offense finally began to arrive. Finishing with 20 points, 9 goals and 11 assists, in 44 games Lindstrom was a main source of offense towards the end of the season. His prowess in the shootout helped the Coyotes earn a few more victories but his step on the ice has gone a long way in finding his place in the NHL as he certainly has earned another chance to show off what he is capable of.

Daniel Winnik: One interesting case is that of Daniel Winnik. After a great rookie year that saw him score score 11 goals and 15 assists in 79 games, his offensive production fell to just seven points, 3 goals and 4 assists, in 49 games. He is known as a checking forward who can play both sides of the puck but Phoenix was hoping for a better offensive output. His work ethic is near the top of the team and, being a 9th round pick in the NHL Draft, the fact he has made any impact in the NHL is a small miracle. Going from the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) to the NHL in a short span of time has shown his ability to improve, earning him another shot at impressing the Coyotes.

Nigel Dawes: The young winger came over from the Rangers in the Derek Morris trade and is known for his offense primarily. However he had trouble scoring with the Coyotes as he had just two points in twelve games for Phoenix, both of those being assists. The Rangers believed that he could become a solid goal scorer in the NHL but problems with consistency have made it hard for Dawes to accomplish this feat. He could be used as trade bait at the draft this season but with the lack of options at wing for the Coyotes and the uncertain financial situation, the Coyotes will look to bring him back.

Keith Yandle: The young defenseman made great strides this season as his defensive play greatly improved with the guidance of veteran Ken Klee. His strong point of igniting an offense was made known has he had thirty points, 4 goals and 26 assists, in 69 games. The Phoenix blue line has been considered a weakness of the team in the future but Yandle is part of the strength of the future. The team will be looking for him to take an even larger role in providing offense from the back end and will be key for them going forward. Maloney needs to re-sign Yandle.

Josh Tordjman: Playing in San Antonio for most of the season, Tordjman got a cup of coffee in the NHL towards the end of the season playing two games with Phoenix. He lost both games giving up a total of eight goals. With Bryzgalov having the top spot for the foreseeable future and the success that Al Montoya had in his NHL debut, it looks as if Tordjman will be spending another season in the AHL as the top goalie there. However his skills as a goaltender are still high and he is young with plenty of time to learn. With very little goaltending depth in the organization, Tordjman will be re-signed.

The unfortunate piece to the restricted free agent front is that other teams can put in offer sheets and send the Coyotes if they can not match the offer. However the organization and the fans are looking to get out of the rebuilding stage and into being a competitor. With very little to work with, Maloney will need to work fast to get these young players signed before July 1st when other teams can put up offer sheets and possibly outbid the Coyotes for some of this young talent.

While Phoenix will probably not be big players in the unrestricted free agent market, chances at improving the team are always available at any price. Management will have to be stingy about who they target in this market but there are gems at low prices, as Phoenix found out when they signed Kurt Sauer last summer, a stellar defensive defenseman signed at a low price. However, here are a couple of possibilities for the Coyotes:

The Sedins: I am sure that after mentioning that the Coyotes have very little money to work with, you are surprised to see the Sedin twins on this list. However, in the event that the Coyotes do get a viable owner who has money to spend, Don Maloney should go all ahead full for the Sedins. It is not assured that Daniel and Henrik will stay in Vancouver after this season. They want to stay together and a young team like Phoenix may be their chance to truly break out in the NHL. Henrik had 22 goals and 60 assists this season for 82 points in 82 games. His playmaking abilities have developed and he has become one of the elite playmakers in the Western Conference. Daniel was also a point per game player as he finished with 31 goals and 51 assists and as been known more for his scoring. If Don Maloney could get his hands on the money to sign both of these players, who want to stay together, it would go a long way in establishing a firm foundation from which Phoenix could move forward from.

Blair Betts: Regardless of what happens with the Coyotes financially, they need to look to improve their special teams. While the center position is not a weakness for the Coyotes, the penalty kill is and if they want to improve it, they should be looking at one of the best penalty killers in the league in Betts. Phoenix finished 28th in the league in penalty kill and it led to their demise down the stretch. Betts would bring a veteran presence to a young penalty killing unit and would be an option in helping a young player like Martin Hanzal who is slowly becoming a good shut down forward for the Coyotes. Betts would not be overly expensive and would provide benefits both on and off the ice for the Coyotes. Betts finished with 6 goals and 4 assists in 81 games this season, tallying a goal and 3 assists shorthanded. The New York Rangers finished first in the league on the penalty kill.

Stephane Veilleux: A left winger who has played for the Minnesota Wild his entire career, Veilleux has played for a team that has had trouble scoring because of their system. This past season he had 13 goals and 10 assists in 81 games for the Wild. He has played on one of the top penalty kills the past few years as Minnesota finished this season second on the penalty kill in the NHL. Other teams will be after his services this summer but he may fly under the radar and if he does Phoenix should be right there to get him.

As I mentioned before, the Sedins are a long shot and should only be pursued if the right financial situation is in place but other than players like Betts and Veilleux, the Coyotes should not be looking to do too much in the unrestricted market.

Phoenix will most likely not be fielding a Stanley Cup contender the next few years so draft picks are essential to the future of the team. Restricted free agents will be very hard to go after considering all the restricted players that need to be signed for the Coyotes and the little amount of money that could easily be matched or outbid. Giving up draft picks that could result in high draft positions is too risky for a team that is relying on young players and their development for success.

What the Coyotes who do not need to be signed need to do is improve, greatly. Captain Shane Doan had a career season and continues to improve on a mediocre team as he scored 31 goals and 42 assists for 73 points in 82 games. He has committed himself to this franchise when he could have gone elsewhere for more money and glory. His leadership has provided an intangible benefit to the team that many people overlook. However, he will need to continue to be a leader both on and off the ice as he is the focal point of the offense right now.

Young players were going to be the core of the team this season and, unfortunately, things did not pan out as Don Maloney and management would have liked them to. Peter Mueller had a good rookie season where he scored 54 points, including 22 goals. However he was troubled with inconsistency and injuries this season and was only able to tally 13 goals and 23 assists in 72 games. He was being counted on to improve his play and numbers but it did not happen for the young winger. This offseason he will be working hard to get back into optimum game shape after suffering a concussion late in the season. The expectations of the team and of himself will drive him to make him do much better next season

Martin Hanzal, another sophomore for Phoenix, was a bright spot for the team. He may not have improved on his rookie total scoring 11 goals and 20 assists this season but his defensive play was stellar as he was put up against some of the big centers in the Western Conference like Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton, and Anze Kopitar. He matured as a two way forward which benefitted the Coyotes and was on their penalty kill. However, he needs to use his large frame more and improve on his offensive totals.

Rookies made their debuts for the Coyotes and they were being thrown right into the fire as they were immediately relied upon for offense. Kyle Turris was the big name for first year players. The team had high hopes that he would have a great rookie year on the score sheet. Unfortunately Turris had trouble with his small frame in producing as much as the Coyotes would have liked him to as he had 8 goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 63 games. However with a year now under his belt Turris can prepare this offseason both physically and mentally for the rigors of the NHL season. His second season will be important to his development as a young player.

Danish forward Mikkel Boedker jumped right from the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League to the Phoenix Coyotes as the 8th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. This season he scored 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 78 games. Boedker's chemistry with former Phoenix Coyote Olli Jokinen was stellar in helping him put points on the board while his speed helped him put space between himself and some of the bigger defenders in the Western Conference. Like Turris, Boedker's big issue is in size. Bulking up while keeping his speed and hands will be key to Boedker's success in his second season where Phoenix will be looking for more of an offensive output.

A wild card to make the team, Russian forward Viktor Tikhonov was noted more for his grandfather's reputation than for his play on the ice. However Tikhonov showed why so many teams were after the young forward at the draft last year as he tallied 8 goals and 8 assists for 16 points in 61 games. He needs to learn bulk up his frame a bit but there is no doubt the kid has potential to be a good player in the league and for the Phoenix Coyotes in the future.

Every rookie will need to improve their play if the team wants to be successful now and in the future which means putting in the summer work and coming back to training camp ready to go. Conditioning has been a problem with this team and has led to its downfalls late in seasons. It must be improved if the Coyotes want to take the next step forward. They showed that they have the skill to compete in the Western Conference but they need the physical endurance to stay at that high level for an extended period of time.

What actually happens this offseason with the Coyotes is a great mystery to everyone following the NHL. The battle between Jim Balsillie and the NHL will be branding the headlines for the foreseeable future as a fight for the franchise will continue. Coyotes fans are hoping that there will be a hockey team at Jobing.com Arena this October and for many years to come while critics of Gary Bettman and his initiative to bring hockey to untraditional hockey markets are hoping there will be an empty arena. However what ever the outcome of the financial battle, general manager Don Maloney will need to have a course of action that will field a competitive hockey team no matter where it will be playing.

Count me as a hopeful it is in Phoenix.

Phoenix Plays Spoiler Again: Downs Dallas 6-5 in Overtime

OdinMercer — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:31:43 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

8 months ago: Phoenix Coyotes' Enver Lisin (18), of Russia, Ed Jovanovski, middle, and Petr Prucha, right, of the Czech Republic, celebrate Prucha's winning goal against Dallas Stars' Tobias Stephan (31), of Switzerland, in overtime of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes defeated the Stars 6-5 in overtime. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Against a banged up team in the Dallas Stars, who were misssing nine (Nine?!) starters, our Phoenix Coyotes managed to pull out a win in overtime. The whole game, on both sides, wasn't very pretty. There were some nice goals scored and bad reffing against both teams, but the defenses on both sides were all over the place, and not in a good way. Dallas was dressing mostly AHLers and we were dressing Jovo. Klee, Kalinen and Sauer looked a little off their games last night too as our D was consistantly out of position. The weak play on D is pretty much the entire reason that Dallas got back into this game. Here's the period by period breakdown...

First Period

The scoring would start early as Brendan Morrison put one over the shoulder of Ilya Bryzgalov on the Stars first shot of the game. Bryz dropped down waaaay to early and Morrison made it look easy. This was not going to be a low scoring game. The game started getting sloppy for the Stars though as the minor penalties were coming all over against them. At 7:54 of the first the Coyotes actually scored a power play goal when Matthew Lombardi worked the puck into the middle and dished off to Scottie Upshall at the side of the net, who had all day to stuff the pck into an open net. Enver Lisin continued the scorring on a flukey goal . He broke away from the stars players and came in hard to the net, but Nicklas Grossman was hanging on him and poked the puck off his stick but redirected it right past Tobias Stephan. Not a bad first period, but both teams were off their games. The D looked shakey on both ends which is how the Coyotes look often times this season, and the Stars looked like they were in the AHL because well, most of them usually are. The Tenders looked off too which I expected from Stephan as he rarely sees ice time behind Turco but not from Bryz who couldn't buy any luck, but was also mistiming his drops.

Second Period

Dallas tied it back up early in the period when Andrew Hutchinson redirected on towards the Net. Zbynek Michalek tried to glove save it for Bryz and it ended up deflecting off of him and bounced right behind Ilya and in. Right off the insuing faceoff, Brandon Prust and Steve Begin dropped them. This wasn't so much a fight as them rolling around on the ice trying to get punches in and largely being unsuccessful. Shane Doan would put the Coyotes ahead again just seconds later when he blasted one from the top of the circles. It looked like Jancevski caught a piece of it, but either way it found the back of the net and Stephan's night wasn't getting any better. 3 minutes later Viktor Tikhonov and Enver Lisin would put the Coyotes up 4-2 as Marty Hanzal's checking was able to keep the puck in the zone, he dished to Tikhonov and the Dallas coverage was not getting back very quickly so he passed to Lisin, who was camped out in front, and put it right past Stephan for his second of the night. Dallas would get back into things though when Brendan Morrison took a shot from the point and Loui Eriksson deflected it up and past Bryzgalov. 4-3 Coyotes.

Third Period

At the beginning of the period it looked like it was going to be all Coyotes. They were keeping in the offensive zone and everything was going well. With 8 minutes remaining Upshall got his second of the night on a hard snap shot from the top of the left circle. Stephan just looked surprised that anyone was shooting and the Coyotes went up 5-3 and looked like they had this one on ice. The Stars would mount the comeback though as at the 14:34 mark somehow the Defense just let Chris Conner skate right past them it recieve a stretch pass at the red line and just made the D and Bryz look silly. Good goal by him and god-awful defense by our guys. 5-4 Coyotes. Stephan came off for the extra attacker with about 1:30 left. Dallas did a good job of puting pressure on the Coyotes and keeping the puck in. With just under a minute to play Daryll Sydor got a nice pass from Matt Niskanen and drilled on from the point and through traffic to get past Bryzgalov and force overtime.

Overtime

Overtime did not last long. With the Coyotes putting on some pressure to start the extra period, Andrew Hutchinson got called for a tripping penalty only 37 seconds into the period. 4-3 the power play actually looked good for a change and cycled the puck through. The passing pulled the D out of position and Doan quickly found Petr Prucha at the side of the net and he stuffed it past Stephan in a mirror image of the earlier Upshall goal.

Coyotes and O'Brien Demolish Canucks 5-1

OdinMercer — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:45:20 -0000

Yeah. That goal by Viktor Tikhonov, or Shane O'Brien, or whoever you want to credit it to pretty much summed up the game for the Canucks. A combination of the Coyotes actually playing a decent game and the Canucks just looking lost out there made this happen. Bryzgalov had another excellent game in goal for the boys in red as well.

First Period

For most of the period the two teams looked pretty evenly matched. Both netminders looked sharp and were making quality saves. It wasn't until there was just under 6 minutes left on the clock that the Coyotes finally put a goal on the board. Daniel WInnik tried to put the puck across the crease, but it went of the skate of Mattias Ohlund and then between the pads of Luongo. It was a bad bounce, but that's pretty much the story of the game. When there was a bounce to be had it would be going against the Canucks.

Second Period

The Coyotes would keep the momentum going as they opened up the second. Just a little more than a minute into the period, Keith Yandle passed from one blue line to the other, connecting with Shane Doan. Doan shot it from just inside the top of the circle and over the leg of Luongo to put the Yotes up 2-0. Lots of Howling insued. With Shane O'Brien in the box for roughing Zbynek Michalek, the Coyotes quickly started padding their lead when Ed Jovanovski, who had a rough game defensivly, was able to blast one in right Lu's arm on the stick side. Finally, with the goal that everyone will be talking about today. Viktor Tikhonov was called with a delayed penalty for hooking Sami Salo. He starts to get back defensively while the Canucks pull Luongo out and bring in the sixth man. As the Canucks started to bring it out of the defensive zone, Tikhonov was pestering them, trying to break up the play one of the Sedins tries to pass to Shane O'Brien at the blueline but it either delects off of Tikhonov or O' Brien, it's hard to tell in the replay who touches it. EIther way the puck heads directly for the Vancouver net, O'Brien tries to sweep it out, but instead goes crashing into the net for what has to be the flukiest goal of the season. When all is said and done, Tikhonov gets credit for the goal, which counted since he never had possesion, it just deflected off him. He then went to the box to serve his penalty.

Third Period

LaBarbara comes in in relief of Luongo to start the third. The second All-Star goalie the Coyotes have chased off this week. Matthew Lombardi would get the 5th goal for the Coyotes when he faked out LaBarbera and tucked in into the net when he tried to reach out and poke the puck away. Finally Alex Burrows broke the shutout bid for Bryzgalov when the Coyotes couldn't hold control of the puck and the Canucks got it out top. Alex Edler's slapshot went just wide, but took a hard rebound straight back into the slot where Alex Burrows was able to get a stick on it and put it behind Bryzgalov.

It was a pretty great game from the Coyotes' point of view. We haven't been tanking which is both nice to see, and mildly disappointing as the draft picks would be nice. I'll take a good showing by the boys any night of the week though. So away with the tank. If we can't be last then what's the point eh? Onward to beat up on some Ducks again...

Coyotes Start Road Trip Off Right - Defeat Wheeler and Bruins 2-1

OdinMercer — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:24:02 -0000

Steven Reinprecht puts the puck past Tim Thomas for the game winning goal agains the Bruins last night. (via www.daylife.com )

Final - 3.5.2009	1	2	3	Total
Phoenix Coyotes	1	1	0	2
Boston Bruins	1	0	0	1

Complete Coverage >

Awesome game last night! The Bruins tried to pound us into submission, but our guys stayed in the third period and Bryzgalov shut the door. Our season may not be salvageable in terms of making the playoffs, but this was a big win regardless. The new guys looked good and were skating their butts off. Turris looked good in his first game back since being called up from San Antonio too. He was checking all over and was grabbing at Chara when he started taking liberties on Viktor Tikhonov. That's gusty, dangerous sure, but gutsy.

Here's a look at the highlights:

Chuck Kobasew opened the scoring in the game with a goal that just trickled in between Bryzgalov's pads that i'm sure he was kicking himself for. THere was a little bit of a screen, but he should have had that one.

Scottie Upshall scored later in the first with a backhander after digging it out of the corner. He was just able to beat Thomas. That's a pretty good way to get yourself in a fan's good graces after replacing a fan favorite.

Steven Reinprecht got the game winner midway through the 2nd period after getting a sweet feed from Nigel Dawes to the open side of the net to beat Thomas. In the process they made Wheeler look like the rookie he is, which was awesome.

The best part of the game though was seeing a team that, even with 5 new players in the lineup, looked like they had chemistry. The Doan - Lombardi - Prucha line looked great. The Dawes pass to Rhino looked like they just knew where the other was going to go. THis is the way we needed to be playing.

The Boston media has gone absolutely crazy with the loss. Boston was already down after losing a few but for the top team in the East to lose to the lowly Coyotes... Here are a few samples of the headlines:

Bruins Now the Hot Ticket? Good Luck With That

Bitten favorites: Lowly Coyotes take a hunk out of revamped Bruins

Bruins Troubles Pile Up

Coyotes get burned by Flamers 7-5

OdinMercer — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:43:02 -0000

/HEADDESK
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/HEADDESK
/BREAKDESK

Ow. Thanks for that game Coyotes. I know that these things are only a game, but that performance actually made me feel physically unwell during the 2nd Period. I mean, you put up 5 goals. You won the crowd some chalupas. Yay. But you coughed up 7 goals! They were pretty horrible goals too. A 2-0 shorthander because we couldn't even get it out of our defensive zone? Literally passing it to the other team. Not just having them intercept it, but actually being surprised that the puck ended up on their stick. I really don't know what to do with you guys right now. I know this is just a game, and I should be used to this by now, but you were in 5th a scant 3 weeks ago. Now we're looking like a team that should be in the AHL at times. The frustrating part is knowing that you can perform better and then just falling to pieces after being so close. If we were going to be crappy it sometimes seems like it would be better to just be that way all year. Instead you got my hopes and dreams of playoff glory up and then smashed them like so many Gallagher watermelons.

To the action I suppose... The first period was pretty quality on the part of both teams. Kiprusoff and Bryzgalov played well. Todd Bertuzzi took two early penalties, one of which netted a goal by Daniel WInnik, his first of the year. Adrian Aucoin tied it up with a nice slapshot. Both teams were launching shots all period though. Phoenix with 20 and Calgary with 15. The wheels really came off in the second. Everyone forgot where they were supposed to be on the ice, how to pass, how to defend, it was pretty much an absolute breakdown. Langkow, Sarich, Lombardi and finally Glencross and an absolutely horrible 2 on 0 shorthanded goal. How does that happen? By everyone leaving the Dman with the puck out to dry when he gets double teamed by the Flames. No one was communicating and that led to on big load being left on the ice. The only good thing out of the period was Winnik getting his second goal of the night. At this point a whole hell of a lot of people were ready to bail on the game. The boos rained down and rightfully so. They played pathetic hockey that period. In the final frame, we were able to save some face at least. Though Lombardi scored again and Eric Nystrom got goals, we were able to collect 3 to at least make it look as though it had been a close game. Shane Doan got one and Viktor Tikhonov got 2 more.

One of the other things that really made this a crappy game night was the fan atmosphere at the arena. Late in the game following a scuffle between Daniel Carcillo and Dion Phaneuff fights broke out in the lower bowl between more than a few fans. Sitting upstairs I have no idea what happened to spark the melee, but it was out of control. People really started leaving once that started. The fighting on the ice is one thing, but in the stands is stupid and really does make the reputation of hockey suffer. It boils down to the fact that this is really just a game. Fans on both sides need to be at least somewhat gracious and not start verbally attacking each other and being jerks in general. Hockey has enough issues without everyone pileing on each other after or at the end of a tough game. Security should have been all over it, but it took quite sometime to break it up. Get a clue fans, sticking up for your team in a civilized way is great. Have a conversation, heck, call security if someone won't leave you alone, but it should NEVER come down to fighting yourselves. That's just stupid and while some people think you have to do such things to be a tough guy, it really just shows you're a moron with no regard for other people. /end rant