ARIZONA COYOTES

Coyotes as underdogs might be understatement

Apr 12, 2011, 3:32 PM | Updated: 4:10 pm

Going into their playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings one would expect the Phoenix Coyotes to be the underdogs. After all, they are the No. 6 seed and the Red Wings are the No. 3 seed with home ice advantage.

But just how big of underdogs may be the surprise.

Of the eight “experts” in ESPN’s predictions for the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs exactly nobody is picking the Coyotes to win the series.

To be fair, no one is picking the Coyotes to get swept by the Red Wings either, but they certainly aren’t giving them their first playoff series win.

I’m not sure ESPN allowed them to pick any sweeps though, as no expert picked any NHL playoff series to end in a sweep.

Is the picking of the Red Wings fair?

Sports 620 KTAR’s Doug & Wolf asked ESPN Hockey Analyst Barry Melrose exactly that.

“I think that’s fair,” Melrose said. “Not a sign of disrespect to Phoenix just a sign of how good Detroit has been the last 10 years.”

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