GLENDALE, Ariz. — In 33 seasons in Winnipeg and Phoenix, the Jets/Coyotes franchise has never won a division title.
How big a deal is that? If Florida clinches the Southeast Division, as expected, only two other NHL franchises will be able to make that same ignominious claim — the Nashville Predators and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both are recent expansion franchises, with Nashville having begun play in 1998-99 and Columbus in 2000-01.
Even the expansion Minnesota Wild (2007-08), Tampa Bay Lightning (2002-03, '03-04) and Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets (2006-07) have done the deed.
More to the point, winning the division is a good indicator of a team’s chances to win the Stanley Cup. Since the 2000-01 season, 10 of the 11 Stanley Cup champs won their division. The exception was Pittsburgh, which finished second to New Jersey in the 2008-09 Atlantic Division race.
With two games left in the season, the Coyotes are one point behind the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division, ensuring this will at least match their closest flirtation with first place in the franchise’s history. The Kings and Sharks will meet in both teams' regular-season finale Saturday, so the Coyotes can claim the division crown with wins at St. Louis on Friday and Minnesota on Saturday.
"Even if it doesn’t technically matter once you get into the playoffs, mentally I think it matters," Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle said of winning a division title. "Just knowing what you accomplished and knowing that you have the home ice with your home crowd cheering for you gives you confidence. It’s worth making that final push to get it."
Clearly, the greatest advantage to a Pacific title would be the No. 3 seed in the Western seed and home-ice advantage in the first round. Instead of facing the physical St. Louis Blues or playoff-tested Vancouver Canucks in the first round, the Coyotes would stand a good chance of drawing defensively challenged Chicago, with as many as four of those games scheduled in Glendale.
But as Yandle noted, there can be a psychological edge with winning the division.
The only other time the Coyotes finished as close as four points out of first was in 2001-02 under coach Bobby Francis. Despite the loss of Jeremy Roenick to free agency and the trade of Keith Tkachuk the previous season, Phoenix battled San Jose down to the wire.
"I remember it vividly because Bobby Francis started talking about us putting ourselves in the best position possible about halfway through the season," said Philadelphia Flyers forward Danny Briere, who led the Coyotes in goals that season with 32. "Bobby was calling it the battle of the West when (we) were fighting with San Jose. It was a big deal, and it was a little disappointing when we didn’t get it."
While critics have focused on the franchise’s inability to get past the first round of the playoffs during its tenure in Phoenix (Winnipeg only won two playoff series in its 17-year NHL history, both over Calgary), the past three seasons under coach Dave Tippett have arguably marked the most competitive stretch in the franchise's history.
Winnipeg finished second in its division just twice and finished as close as 12 points to first place just once in its history (six points behind in 1981-82). Phoenix, by contrast, has finished second three times in its 16-year history and within six points of first four times, including the past three seasons. The Coyotes reached the 40-win plateau for a third consecutive season Tuesday, setting a franchise record.
"It would be a nice accomplishment to get that first division title," forward Radim Vrbata said.
If this is to be a season of firsts (and it could become lasts if this ownership saga is not resolved), the Coyotes likely will need to win their remaining two games.
It won’t be easy since Friday's game is against the Blues, perhaps the toughest team in the NHL and one that has defeated the Coyotes in the teams' previous three meetings by a combined score of 11-3. After that, the Coyotes must take care of business in their season finale at Minnesota, a non-playoff team that has been playing loose and well, with wins in four of its past five games.
Of course, the Coyotes’ biggest trick of all will be shoring up shoddy defensive play and uninspired offensive play, shortcomings masked by goalie Mike Smith’s three consecutive shutouts but shortcomings that had Tippett growling after Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Columbus.
"What would help us is to play to our capabilities so we can win the division," Tippett said. "Right now, the division should be an afterthought. Ultimately, if we’re going to have any chance of winning a division or any chance of winning our next two games, we have to play better as a group."
