One Game, One Period, One Battle. Let's Go Coyotes.

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He everybody! I'm doing links today! Aren't you excited? Yes? Oh, about the game? Well, I guess that's okay too. Sorry your daily knowledge bomb of everything going on about the Coyotes is late. You'll just have to bask in the light of your computer monitor while you eat that rice bowl or whatever you have. If you packed a bologna sandwich then I'm very sorry. You should plan lunch better. We'll have some semblance of a preview up later today and then it's game 5! (Which will hopefully lead to game 6 and game 7) See you then!

Coyotes/Playoff Series Links:

Coyotes are the team too tough to die
The Los Angeles Kings' 7-0 road record is such a dangerous topic of conversation at their end, and such

LA Kings Phoenix Coyotes 2012 NHL Western final game 5 preview - Allan Muir - SI.com
It's small picture time for the Phoenix Coyotes.

Coyotes beat Kings, Arizona gets its Game 5 - ArizonaSports.com
Coyotes beat Kings, Arizona gets its Game 5

MOAR LINKS AFTER THE JUMP!

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What do you even say after that game? The Coyotes seemed like they would play a decent game even after going down 1 after the first but then absolutely lost their collective minds. Sure, 26 other teams would be grateful to be playing in this game(h/t @felixpotvin), but holy cow make something of it guys. Everything went down hill after that with Shane Doan, Antoinne Vermette, and Martin Hanzal all getting Game Misconducts, Hanzal looking at a possible suspension and possibly Doan too with how random the justice system in this league is.

/Travis was just fined for his comments about the suspension system and has been sacked.

Sure, the Kings played a good game too with Jeff Carter getting a hat trick and Quick was good in the limited times he was tested, but this was a lot of the Coyotes losing it. And the refs too. Man were they calling a crap game. The Coyotes were doing enough on their own, but really? No icing on the 2nd goal, the Doan penalty, you just couldn't get anything right!

/The writer who had taken over for Travis has also been fined and sacked.

Before we lose any more writers here's a video or two and a selection of user submitted Hiaku.

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The Phoenix Coyotes have followed up their first playoff series win in the desert by doing it again and advancing to the Western Conference Finals to face the Los Angeles Kings. I don't think many picked the Coyotes to get this far this year but what an amazing ride it has been and still will be.

From the drop of the puck both teams came out trying to create pressure and get an early edge. The teams traded chances but the Predators had the shot advantage early but couldn't cash in. The game was scoreless until the second period when Derek Morris unloaded on a shot from the point and got the always important first goal of the game. The Predators seemed like they would push to come back but Martin Hanzal increased the lead to two with an absolute snipe that the Predators screened Pekka Rinne on.

With 20 minutes left the Coyotes didn't get back into a defensive shell. They did allow chances but it was more of the bend, don't break tactics that the Coyotes used so much. Colin Wilson would make things interesting with about 6 minutes left cutting the lead in half on a deflection at the front of the goal. Mike Smith ended the game with 32 saves in the 2-1 win. He also nearly had an ENG to ice it at the end.

Super win. On to the conference finals.

After the jump go crazy go nuts with your GIF dance party!

There are still a couple hoops to jump through but today, finally, the Phoenix Coyotes may have a new owner. According to multiple reports Gary Bettman is set to announce that the NHL has agreed to the terms of a sale with a group led by former Sharks CEO Greg Jamison before today's Conference Semifinal game 5. Jamison was instrumental in turning the Sharks into a fixture in the community and developing a solid support base in a non-traditional market. While the Coyotes have had several suitors attempt to try and buy the team over the last couple of years, Jamison may be uniquely suited to turn this franchise into a real, professionally run business here in the desert.

While the NHL is ready and comfortable selling to the Jamison group, there still needs to be a new lease deal done with the City of Glendale. right now the matter has not been put on the City Council agenda for the week, and it doesn't look like it will be addresses until next week at this point. Last night via twitter Councilwoman Joyce Clark even asked that supporters not come to the meeting this week as it wouldn't be helpful, but to wait until the Coyotes are actually on the agenda. Once announced, the group would want this part done as soon as possible so the City Council could call a special meeting next week if necessary to get this resolved.

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In a quick measure of accountability, I though everyone might like to know who among all those internet and media "experts" they may or may not want to listen to going forward. Below you'll find a list of those sites I could locate that outlined their picks in the Phoenix Coyotes vs. Chicago Blackhawks series. Gold Stars to the ones that nailed it dead on. Failing grades to those that picked the Hawks.

Some general trends real quick: Stats guys all seemed to pick the Hawks. Shot Differential, Corsi and such. That didn't really work out so well. Leahy actually picked correctly? Surprised there weren't more tweets about that. In 6 either way seems the more popular pick just because it's easier. Not many are going to pick in 4 or even 5. With the series expected to be close, and it was a decent number of 7s, though a few more for the Hawks.

The percentage split between the two teams was 40% Coyotes to 60% Hawks in the links I was able to find.

Those that got it exactly right predicting the Coyotes in 6. A+, Gold Star, Honor Roll, Etc.

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With a 1-0 lead late in the 2nd the Phoenix Coyotes looked on track for another tight game against the Chicago Blackhawks. With the ghosts of the previous 3 games in their minds where the Hawks came back late to tie up the game and send it into overtime, they went into the intermission being solidly outclassed on the shot chart. Down on that count 27-8 at that point Mike Smith was absolutely insane in net, robbing the Blackhawks and frustrating them at every turn. Oliver Ekman-Larsson had scored on a suddenly awake power play on the Coyotes 6th shot midway through the second. Everything looked like the team would play just well enough to get to overtime again.

And then they set the script on fire.

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Phoenix Coyotes fans can breathe a sigh of relief as head coach Dave Tippett has confirmed that Radim Vrbata will be ready to play in game two of the Coyotes series against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Coyotes never made an official statement as to what happened in game 1 other than he was listed as day to day. There was some talk of him being treated under the concussion protocol, but there's not much chance he'd be back were that the case.

While the Coyotes won game one, having Vrbata's 35 goals back in the lineup certainly will help. Even bigger is that the team won't have to juggle lines for nearly an entire 60 minutes (plus some) to make up for his absence. Both he and Ray Whitney have been great together on a line centered by Martin Hanzal so hopefully he can make up for his game one absence in a big way for the team tonight.

It's springtime and once again the Phoenix Coyotes have qualified for the postseason. This time as PACIFIC DIVISION CHAMPIONS!!!1 Sorry, I got excited there. Unfortunately there are also 14 teams that didn't qualify at all for the playoffs. Let's have a moment of silence for them please..... Those fans, should they want to watch the playoffs, will need a team to adopt for a couple of months. But how will they decide? And what about those people on the East Coast that want to pick a Western team? Well, I'm about to outline why fans of every team might want to be at least a part-time Coyotes fan this time around...

*(this blog post is meant to be funny. More than likely it will be "funny" instead. We apologize ahead of time for the lame jokes.)

Anaheim Ducks - Traditionally we don't like each other very much. You have Corey Perry on your team and this is a source of much of the scorn lobbed your way. You don't like us because... I have no idea. However do you really want the Kings or Sharks to be in contention for the cup? Aren't you pretty happy being the only California team with one? The enemy of my enemy is my... something or other.

Boston Bruins - That Keith Yandle is wicked awesome!

Buffalo Sabres - What else do you have to do? You live in Buffalo. Besides, who else are you going to cheer for? Philly? C'mon.

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The Phoenix Coyotes have won the Pacific Division! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! We win! We win! We Win!

After taking down the Wild 4-1 the Coyotes have officially won the division title and a 3rd seed in the Western Conference. The Goals came early and often for the Coyotes with Mikkel Boedker getting one, Taylor Pyatt with a pair as well and Radim Vrbata scoring his 35th goal of the year. Mike Smith was huge yet again with a flukey goal yet again. If the Coyotes can keep up this scoring run at all in the Playoffs, Smith shows no signs of slowing down with a bunch more great saves tonight.

First up for the Coyotes will be the Chicago Blackhawks starting on either Thursday or Friday. Celebrate the Coyotes first division banner in here with your favorite GIFs (Titles please), images, cheering, general revelry. Be nice to visitors though. :)

(More coming shortly)

LET'S GO COYOTES! GET THAT BANNER!

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End of the regular season road for everyone tonight as the Phoenix Coyotes venture into Minnesota for their eighty-second game. One of only two teams with a back to back it hopefully won't have much of an effect on the Coyotes as it's just an hour flight to face the Wild.

Both teams are playing very well right now despite being on different postseason paths. The Wild are likely looking at a lottery pick, but in the last Five games are 4-0-1. The Coyotes though are similarly streaking as in the last 4 they're 4-0-0 and have given up only one goal. This isn't going to be an easy game in the least.

The Coyotes definitely have the edge in motivation though. They're looking to lock up their first division banner as a franchise and get the 3 seed. The good news is that if they do it will not be a matchup with Detroit again thanks to their game earlier with Chicago. The Blackhawks are squarely in the 6th seed now. Any kind of win will do as well. Their seeding is completely in their own hands tonight, all they have to do is win.

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There are a lot of words one could use to describe the typical Phoenix Coyotes power play lately; ineffective, waste, useless. Not among them recently until tonight? Effective. Down 2-0 half way through the first the Coyotes battled back to tie it up before the end of the first frame. First Rostislav Klesla sniped in a big rebound given up by Roberto Luongo after a Antoine Vermette shot from the wall. It wouldn't be the last rebound Luongo would cough up either. The Coyotes got the tying goal from Shane Doan who showed the patience that a captain needs to and then just didn't stop playing until the puck went in. The work making that goal happen really made the rest of the team wake up from a poor effort at the start.

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It's the moment Phoenix Coyotes fans have been waiting for since Shane Doan's first 2 goal game way back in who knows, 1997? 98? With just .1 second left on the clock and staring his 39th 2 goal game in the face the Coyote Captain ripped one last shot on net and Evgeni Nabokov just couldn't save it. call it karma, call it luck, call it whatever you want, but Doan put that extra drama into one of the best moments in team history as the hats rained down. Toronto had to make it official as it was close, but the call on the ice stood and one of the best guys in all of hockey finally got his hat trick after scoring 305 previous goals. (Now 308?)

While the third goal was certainly the most important for Doan, his previous two in the game really got the Coyotes going. He started the scoring in the game with a knee drop shot from the left side cleaning up a rebound and sent it high over the out stretched arm of Nabokov. The second was almost as pretty as Doan broke out on a turnover and sent it five hole to make it 2-1 in the second period. Check back in a few for the video highlights of them, but use this thread to profess your love for Shane Doan.

Video after the jump...

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LET'S GO COYOTES!

The Phoenix Coyotes announced this after noon that they have activated goaltender Mike Smith from Injured Reserve. The team also announced that they have sent Curtis McElhinney back to the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League. McElhinney looked solid in his only start against the Wild only giving up 2goals in the 4-2 win and many expected him to start again tonight had Smith not returned.

Per Dave Vest, Head Coach Dave Tippett has said that there is a chance Smith could get the start tonight, but no official word on if it will be he or Jason LaBarbera in net against the St. Louis Blues.

Hopefully Smith's return will provide a boost to the Coyotes who are come off a lackluster December to say the least. In the six games since his injury the Coyotes went 2-3-1 with all of the losses being by only one goal. We'll update once we find out if Smith will in fact get the nod tonight, but it may be a game time decision.

The news on Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith got a bit worse today as the team placed him on the injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 20th. One plus to this is that that really means he's unavailable for one more day before they can take him off and have him active again. It's still unclear just how long he's expected to be out though as he was listed day-to-day up to this point.

The Coyotes also shuffled backups for Jason LaBarbera as Curtis McElhinney cleared re-entry waivers and the team sent Justin Pogge back to the Portland Pirates.

While the team could certainly use Mike Smith in net, Jason LaBarbera has played well in his two starts since goine 1-1. THe team in front of him hasn't been the sharpest though. They did finish a comeback against Carolina, but just looked flat against the Blues on Friday. In the past they've done a great job of giving the backup a boost though so hopefully they can find a way against a floundering LA Kings team tonight.

LET'S GO COYOTES!!!

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LET'S GO COYOTES!!!

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Have you ever wanted to become a part of the fast growing and exciting Coyotes blogging industry? I know it seems glamorous and all what with our piles of internet money and fast cars, but really it's nothing at all like that. It takes a few things. A computer, some excitement about the Coyotes and some source of caffeine. Sound fun? Well then keep reading for how to become a part of the team!

So what positions are we looking to fill? Well we wouldn't mind adding AT LEAST 1 more person to help with links AND 1 more to help with regular everyday content (ESPECIALLY RECAPS AND PREVIEWS). However If more than 2 people apply we'll add as many qualified applicants as we can find.

Here's basically what we're looking for people do do to see if they've got what we're looking for and to see if they actually want to do it. Basically start writing. Come up with a few (at least 3) topics you'd like to read/write about and then create a Fanpost out of each one. They don't need to be all on the same day. They don't need to be huge pieces of literature stacked with citations and stats. They don't need to be fancy. What they SHOULD be are interesting to read, well thought out and grammatically correct. They should also probably be a couple paragraphs long at least so that it makes a bigger statement than "I <3 Shane Doan". While accurate and something to relate to, needs something more. Basically if you find it interesting we probably will too and you should write it. Also, just so I know that you're interested shoot me an email saying that this is what you're writing them for. 

It's finally over. With 8 days left until his NHL career was going to go down the tubes for the season, Kyle Turris has signed a 2 year deal with the Coyotes. He's taking significantly less than the 3 million or so he was reportedly asking for. In year one he'll make 1.2 million and in year two 1.6 million. That's the deal he really held out for right there. Hope his agent really loves his commission off that one. 

Turris will likely be playing on the big club at this point rather than spending time in Portland. They're also waiting for him to clear a physical before being able to play. I'd expect some time after Thanksgiving as he'll have to get some practice time in. It'll also give the Coyotes some flexibility at center with Daymond Langkow out for the time being. Expect Kyle Chipchura to head back to Portland for the time being. 

Anyone that knows me knows I'm not so much a stats guy. However when they show fun things like how awesome Mike Smith is. I can use one or two. With how everyone was freaking out about how Phoenix was going to eat it when they traded away Byzgalov's rights to the Flyers, Mike Smith seemed to be, well, not an adequate upgrade. Nevermind the fact that he was a similar build of Bryzgalov, had formerly played for Dave Tippett and would have a great goalie coach in Sean Burke to improve his game. The early evidence though shows that the Coyotes are doing just peachy without the big Russian. Sure 13 games isn't a season, but hard to argue that the Coyotes would be better off paying Bryz a boatload of money than they are with Smith right now. Let's look at the numbers.

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For those of you not following on twitter, I'm having some "fun" and getting in shape to run a 5k in February and following that up (fitness depending) with a half-marathon in May. Sure. I get in shape. Super. Great. But why not raise some money for a good cause in the process? To that end myself, and Jen (@NHLHistoryGirl) are "competing" to raise more money than the other for Defending the Blue Line, a great hockey charity.

More about them:

Our mission at Defending The Blue Line (DTBL) is ensuring that children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey. We accomplish this by providing free equipment for military kids, hockey camps, special events, and financial assistance for registration fees and other costs associated with hockey.

Hockey, solidier's kids, the posibility of me finishing last in a couple races. What's the downside? There isn't one. Even if you just donate a buck or two it's something! Here's a link to the fundraising page. I never even touch the money. So I can't steal it either! :P I and Defending the Blue Line thank you in advance.

In our continuing efforts to get even more coverage of Coyotes prospects we're proud to announce the addition of Ally Pelphrey to the team covering the Gwinnett Gladiators who are the Coyotes new ECHL affiliate. You can follow her on twitter at @allyblogsworld or check out her site at http://www.friedcheckin.com/

Her bio so you can get to know her just a bit better:

Ally is a native of Metro Atlanta who got dragged into ice hockey completely by accident as a teenager when her dad took her to an Atlanta Thrashers game. A few seasons later she discovered the wild world of sports blogging, and even after the Thrashers moved, her love for the sport and writing about it didn't die out. She has now found a home in Duluth, GA covering Phoenix's new ECHL affiliate the Gwinnett Gladiators for Five For Howling. She is currently starting up a blog about Southern hockey called Fried Checkin' and lets fly with her own sometimes uncensored thoughts on her personal blog Hey Y'all Hockey. She is a devout believer in the sun belt and non-traditional hockey, and tends to love the minor leagues over the NHL. Outside of hockey, Ally can be found volunteering for Dragon*Con, the largest science fiction/fantasy convention in the United States, where she co-hosts a live broadcast morning show and occasionally writes silly stuff for their in-house network. She is particularly fond of literature, action movies, and whiskey drinks. And yes, she does say "y'all."

Welcome Ally to the team... y'all.

So remember when the Phoenix Coyotes waived Brett MacLean and he was picked up by our arch-nemesis Winnipeg Jets? Well apparently he couldn't quite stick with the big club there either and was placed on waivers again today. The Coyotes, being the club that waived him in the first place had first claim on him, and much like Don Maloney said he would, snagged him off the wire.

In 5 games thus far with the Jets he got an average of 8:29 worth of ice time and collected 2 assists. In his last game against Ottawa on October 20th he saw only four minutes and forty three seconds of ice time. Maybe the experience of not cracking the Jets' lineup will humble him a little and he can realize he still needs to grow a little before earning a full time NHL spot.

MacLean will initially report to the Coyotes as he did not "clear" waivers and would have to again to be sent down to Portland. (I think. Maybe. We'll see.) Alright I was wrong there. To Portland ye scurvy dog!

I was going to quote the Winnipeg Free Press too, but If I only quote the two sentences they wrote is it plagarism? We'll find out! Remember this is the ENTIRETY of the text: Also LINK

TAMPA - The Phoenix Coyotes have claimed forward Brett MacLean off waivers.

The Jets put the winger on waivers with the intention of sending him to St. John's of the AHL.

Bangup job writing that up WFP.

The Phoenix Coyotes added to their depth at center today as they picked up Cal O'Reilly from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 4th round pick in this year's draft. O'Reilly is currently out with a minor injury and should play his first game with the Coyotes on Wednesday. The young center had 6 goals and 18 assists for the Preds in 38 games last year. Not too shabby, but he just couldn't grab a regular starting position.

Part of his problem is that he keeps getting dinged up with relatively minor injuries, but ones that keep knocking him out for stretches. Nashville had plenty of depth and the Coyotes had a need. Don Maloney filled it and didn't give up much in the process. What is good is that he's only making 1.05 million this season and is an RFA next season. With similar production to another young center with potential that wants 3+, Cal seems like a deal to me.