Maloney: We need people to come back

The Phoenix Coyotes are no stranger to the underdog role, and neither are the Los Angeles Kings. Both teams
were expected to be out of the playoffs in the second, if
not first rounds, and thrive off of being counted out.

Both teams reside in cities where winning is all that
matters.

Phoenix is notorious for jumping on and off bandwagons as
fast as anyone else, and the city of LA is filled with so
many talented clubs that a losing record will get you
forgotten, quickly. (Just look at how quickly the LA
Clippers have caught up to the LA Lakers in terms of fans,
with just one
successful season.)

“This town is about success,” said Coyotes General Manager
Don Maloney. “You can’t go year after year and not have
success. There are too many alternatives.”

Phoenix’s recent draw of support for one of the most
successful seasons the city has seen in quite awhile is
evident, but Maloney knows it could be taken away just as
quickly. Phoenix has seen teams make the playoffs when
they weren’t projected to, and it has seen teams make a
run deep into the playoffs before. What it hasn’t seen, in
the last 11 years, is a championship.

“We talked about it already, we have to win just four more
games and regroup after that. We haven’t accomplished
anything that we wanted to,” said Coyotes captain Shane
Doan. “Everyone’s goal is to win everything. We have to
find ways to win four more, and regroup from there. I know
it’s a cliché, but we have to just take it one game at a
time.”

Maloney and the rest of the Coyotes know that the recent
draw has helped to convince interested buyers that the
Coyotes are worth keeping in Glendale, and they hope it is
enough to carry over their recent increase of a fan base.
“Hopefully people get excited and they come back,” Maloney
said. “We need people to come back.”

These are two teams that already surpassed their expected
accomplishments on the season, and are both looking to
capitalize on their playoff run and take it to the next
level; something the city of LA is no stranger to with the
Lakers. The Phoenix Coyotes, however, could win over the
hearts of a city that is struggling to find a solid base
to stand on in terms of sports success.

The Arizona Diamondbacks were projected as World Series
contenders in 2012, but are now sub .500 and on a five
game slide.
The Arizona Cardinals failed to draw a big name
quarterback over the offseason, after missing the
playoffs, and the Phoenix Suns are on the verge of losing
quite possibly the biggest star the city has ever seen in
Steve Nash.

The Coyotes have a golden opportunity to land a solid
owner, as well as a solid fan base, and are quite on their
way to accomplishing both through the 2012 Stanley Cup
Playoffs.

There’s just one team in their way of reaching the
final round; one that is a bit more similar than
either would choose to admit.

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