Off the Ice: It’s do or die for the Phoenix Coyotes

Mar 26, 2013, 5:27 AM | Updated: 5:46 am

Six games.

Six games without a win. Six long games full of penalties, a new scoreless record and nothing but frustration.

The Phoenix Coyotes haven’t won a game since Pope Francis was brought in. Maybe they’re not praying enough or they’re still stuck on Benedict, but the time has come for the Coyotes to play do or die hockey.

With just 17 games left this season, the ‘Yotes find themselves just four points adrift of the eighth seed in the Western Conference. That’s only two wins. But that seems nearly impossible, given the team’s lack of confidence and the worst team in the conference, the surging Columbus Blue Jackets, only trailing by four points.

“Right now, we’ve got a lot of players who aren’t playing with a lot of confidence,” said Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett after the team’s 3-2 Monday loss to Detroit, adding that guys have to earn the right to be proud of their play.

The upcoming road trip, just three games long, is going to define the Coyotes’ postseason chances this season. If they somehow manage to bungle it and drop all six points, they’re pretty much out of the race. A nine-game losing streak will likely make them sellers in the market and they’ll quietly go about wrapping up the season. But just four points out of six, a big task but a doable one, can push the ‘Yotes right back into the playoff hunt.

The sad thing is, the Coyotes are not playing that poorly. They’re not winning, but they’re not getting blown out. They’re with the game up until the final whistle, when, somehow, the scoreboard doesn’t read in their favor.

“Right now, we’re finding ways to lose games,” said goaltender Jason LaBarbera. He couldn’t be more right.

The Coyotes have taken 31 penalties in their six-game skid, including two that led to two Red Wings power play goals on Monday, one of which was the game winner. If that’s not finding a way to lose, I’m not sure what is.

As the losing streak has gone on, most players have given variations of the same answer when asked what the team has to do going forward.

“We just have to find a way to find 60 minutes here and just get ourselves out of this hole,” said forward Rob Klinkhammer.

Keep pushing. Find a way. Keep working. All good answers, but, as Tippett said, the team is saying the right things, but not doing them on the ice.

The best way for the Coyotes to pull out of this tailspin is to win. A lot. They need to take it to the opposing teams over the next week, but need to do so with a quiet desperation that gives them an edge, not one that may give the other team an easy chance.

With a system like the Coyotes’, where every guy is important, it’s very easy for one chink in the armor to lead to others. A bad line combination, a mismatch or even a bad pass can sink the Coyotes this season, something Tippett is aware of.

“There’s a lot of things you can try, but we’ll see. This will be a telltale week for us.”

Telltale week? I’d put it more as a season-defining week. Should the Coyotes not play do or die hockey over the next three games, they’ll watch their postseason dreams fade away.

Phoenix Coyotes' Antoine Vermette, right, tries to redirect the puck in front of Detroit Red Wings goalie Jonas Gustavsson, of Sweden, in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Detroit Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula (51), of Finland, trips up Phoenix Coyotes' Michael Stone (29) as Coyotes' Antoine Vermette watches in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes' Martin Hanzal, of the Czech Republic, celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings with teammates in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Detroit Red Wings' Ian White, right, celebrates his goal against the Phoenix Coyotes with teammates Joakim Andersson (63), of Sweden, and Daniel Cleary (11) as Coyotes' Boyd Gordon (15) skates past in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera (1) gives up a goal to Detroit Red Wings' Ian White, not shown, as Joakim Andersson (63), of Sweden, skates in front of the net in the first period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera, left, gives up a goal to Detroit Red Wings' Johan Franzen as Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), of Sweden, and Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg stand near the net in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Detroit Red Wings' Johan Franzen (93), of Sweden, celebrates his goal against Phoenix Coyotes' Jason LaBarbera (1) with Niklas Kronwall (55), of Sweden, as Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), of Sweden, watches in the second period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk (13), of Russia, scores a goal against Phoenix Coyotes' Jason LaBarbera (1) as Red Wings' Johan Franzen (93), of Sweden, looks on in the third period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. Datsyuk's goal was the game-winner as the Red Wings defeated the Coyotes 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk (13), of Russia, smiles as he celebrates his goal against the Phoenix Coyotes with teammate Johan Franzen (93), of Sweden, as Phoenix Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23), of Sweden, skates past in the third period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. The Red Wings defeated the Coyotes 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes' Lauri Korpikoski, left, of Finland, misses a penalty shot as Detroit Red Wings' Jonas Gustavsson, of Sweden, makes a glove save in the third period during an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. The Red Wings defeated the Coyotes 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Detroit Red Wings' Jonas Gustavsson (50), of Sweden, is congratulated by teammates Niklas Kronwall (55), of Sweden, and Jonathan Ericsson, of Sweden, as time expires in the third period during an NHL hockey game against the Phoenix Coyotes, Monday, March 25, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. The Red Wings defeated the Coyotes 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Off the Ice: It’s do or die for the Phoenix Coyotes