GLENDALE, Ariz. — Those recurring first-period
deficits are an easy focal point for what’s ailing the Coyotes during this
four-game losing streak.
They’re important, but the issues run far deeper.
“It’s more mistake oriented than it is coming out flat,” said coach Dave Tippett,
who had never lost four consecutive games in regulation as Phoenix’s coach
before Tuesday’s 3-2 setback in Columbus.
Mistakes happen throughout a game, but they happen more often when players are
tired from playing heavy minutes or playing more high-pressure situations.
That might be a factor in goalie Mike Smith’s below-average play the past few
games as he prepares to make his 55th start. It may also explain why forward
Radim Vrbata just matched his longest goal-less drought of the season at seven
games. But it’s absolutely been a factor with the Coyotes defense, which has
been without three mainstays — David Schlemko (25 games), Rostislav Klesla
(nine games) and Derek Morris (11 games) — for an extended stretch.
Their absences have added minutes to Keith Yandle, Adrian Aucoin, Michal
Rozsival and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who have each made their share of costly
mistakes during this slump. The injury woes also have highlighted the youth of
defensemen like Chris Summers, who has struggled of late as he’s asked to do
more.
When the Coyotes were riding the positive momentum of an 11-0-1 February, they
were able to mask those issues and seemingly develop immunity to the
consequences. But eventually — like during this four-game slide that has
coincided with the calendar turning to March — the odds were bound to catch up
with them.
Tippett said Wednesday that he is hopeful Klesla will return to the lineup for
Saturday’s huge game with Pacific Division rival San Jose. That would be a big
relief, even if the timelines on Morris and Schlemko are less certain.
“It means eating up some of those minutes,” Tippett said. “We need to get our
defense healthy again.”
In the meantime, the Coyotes have to find a way to get back to basics, starting
with Thursday night's home game against Minnesota. They won’t enjoy any
extended practice time to work on fundamentals until March 26, when they get a
three-day break before hosting the Sharks on the 29th.
Between now and then, they’ll face 10 consecutive Western
Conference foes — nine of whom are still in the playoff race.
“You go undefeated (in regulation) for a month and you’re obviously flying
pretty high, feeling pretty confident,” said forward Gilbert Brule, who
highlighted some tactical problems he’s seeing. “Little details. We’re not
getting pucks deep sometimes. There’s little turnovers. Guys are wanting to get
a (line) change, and then we turn the puck over in our own end and we get
tired.
“Obviously, we need some secondary scoring, too. We can’t
just rely on the top guys to be scoring all the goals.”
A week ago, the Coyotes were sitting atop the Pacific Division standings and
thinking about home-ice advantage for the playoffs. Now they’re in seventh
place in the West, just two points removed from a spring with no postseason.
That is cause for concern, but in the streak-and
slump-filled West, 15 games is plenty of time to get the ship righted,
especially with four key games upcoming against division rivals San Jose
(three) and Dallas (one).
“We still control a lot of our own destiny, and that’s the good thing about
it,” Tippett said. “But the fact of the matter is those teams are all saying
the same thing also.”
