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Round 2: Phoenix Coyotes vs Nashville Predators

What a great opportunity this year for the Preds. The last couple of playoffs it seems like their lack of offense made them unable to compete with the top teams in the West. But now it looks like they could very well be the top offensive team left, especially if Radulov picks up.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
What a great opportunity this year for the Preds. The last couple of playoffs it seems like their lack of offense made them unable to compete with the top teams in the West. But now it looks like they could very well be the top offensive team left, especially if Radulov picks up.
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A little obstacle called Mike Smith stands in their way though...

Brings back memories of when Cujo was standing on his head for us *sigh*
 
Potvin29 said:
The Coyotes make me angry.  Dominated by Chicago in the last game of that series, but win.  In this game, outshot 16-1 in the third and then dominated in OT, and they win.

Just screw off.
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The 'yotes have it down to a science -- get outshot, get outplayed, have superb goaltending, then win in OT.  That's basically what they've been doing these entire playoffs.  They've had the knack for tying up some games, then forcing OT.  It has worked for them, coupled with their confidence in Mike Smith.
 
Hockey fan if you watched the Coyotes this playoffs you would heve seen the other team tie it up in every game I think???  Maybe Chicago had lead in one??
 
Bates said:
Hockey fan if you watched the Coyotes this playoffs you would heve seen the other team tie it up in every game I think???  Maybe Chicago had lead in one??
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Checked the boxscore stats, yes, the 'Hawks did tie them with the exception of Game#6.  Still, if not for Mike Smith...
 
There is more to the Coyotes than Mike Smith but I would agree that he is their mvp for the season and the playoffs.
 
Just wanted to clarify hockeyfan that I am not trying to be confrontational.  But the Coyotes play a system and they play it well.  A huge part of that system is good team defence and getting a great game from their goalie everynight.  I don't think them winning their division this year was a fluke and generally saw them as the better team most nights.  I also don't think they were severely outplayed by the Hawks in round one even though the shot totals may suggest something different.
 
So much for this one being the most boring series.  I would say so far in round 2 this series is the best one.
 
Madferret said:
Yotes are playing some great hockey at the moment no doubt.
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Yep. I don't think the game last night was one Mike Smith stole. I also don't think this is a team solely reliant on the heroics of Mike Smith. It's pretty tough for any team to get anywhere in the playoffs without good goaltending.

It is a team that will give up outside shots and often allows teams to out shoot it. They also get charged with giveaways when it's the smart play - "nothing is there".  But kind of like the Devils in their great period were, they're a counter team - they use their good D, turnovers, blocked shots or missed opponent shots to take the play the other way to develop a bunch of their scoring chances. All teams do that to some extent but they stick to it more. In terms of actual good scoring chances, I think they've been right with Chicago and Nashville though a couple of games (ie game 1 with Nashville, they didn't match them but they've out chanced them in games like last night).

For some time, they've been a well coached, smart hockey team who play well as five man unit on the ice and focus on exploiting the collective strength of their talents. If a team is going to beat them, they make them earn it.

Many people gave Bryzgalov a bunch of credit when he played there because they couldn't explain their success with a lack of high end scoring skill. He was good and I don't want to take tons away from him. But now, the same is happening with Mike Smith and he's been good too so I don't want to take a bunch away from him. But I think those that chalk it up as simply based upon hot goaltending haven't watched them very carefully. I think Reimer's & Gustavsson's save%s this season would probably rise 10 points or so if they played behind these Coyote skaters. They're not flashy but they are a good team.
 
cw said:
It is a team that will give up outside shots and often allows teams to out shoot it. They also get charged with giveaways when it's the smart play - "nothing is there".
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I admittedly haven't seen all of their postseason games, but the games I have seen, the chances they've been giving up have been grade A chances, not just outside chances.  The last game against Chicago there were probably a dozen great, great chances within the first 2 periods alone.

But maybe I've just watched them at the wrong times.
 
I think I'm beginning to like these 'yotes!

Game #2, the Coyotes really forced the play to Nashville.  Here's a good summation of the game:

They never stopped skating and never gave the Predators defense time to breathe. That led to constant breakdowns in the Preds zone and seemed to get normally unflappable goaltender Pekka Rinne off his game...

Nashville spent too much time pinned in its own end, but also because the compete level just wasn?t  there.

For the first time in these playoffs, Nashville isn?t the team with the upper hand strategically... Coach Barry Trotz and the Preds had Detroit completely figured out, constantly forcing their attackers to the outside ? but the Desert Dogs are doing everything the Wings couldn?t do. If the Preds don?t learn how to contain Phoenix?s speed and generate more chances of their own, they?ll be on the ropes after Game 3.

Source: THN
 
Potvin29 said:
cw said:
It is a team that will give up outside shots and often allows teams to out shoot it. They also get charged with giveaways when it's the smart play - "nothing is there".
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I admittedly haven't seen all of their postseason games, but the games I have seen, the chances they've been giving up have been grade A chances, not just outside chances.  The last game against Chicago there were probably a dozen great, great chances within the first 2 periods alone.

But maybe I've just watched them at the wrong times.
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There's some merit to your observations. All teams give up good scoring chances in the playoffs. Having said that, I guess it's the way they come about where I make some distinction:

I've seen most of their games. A criticism I and several have is when they get up in games, they tend to have been too content to chip it in deep, giving their opponent puck possession and then setting up to defend the upcoming rush. That has led to some good scoring chances and too frequently in the Chicago series, allowed Chicago back into the game.

In the game against Nashville last night, they took it to them with maintaining more puck possession in the offensive zone.

In the last game against Chicago, I didn't feel they sat back quite as much as they had in previous games with Chicago but when they're up, they don't take many risky offensive chances that can come back the other way and they don't pinch much for example to sustain puck possession in the offensive zone. They challenge the other team to open up, which Chicago had to, to come back and score on them - and often, Phoenix hurts them when the opponent team's attempt fails. Chicago was successful a few times scoring late but in their final game, when they failed, Phoenix came back the other way and burned them.

Phoenix is third in goals scored per game in the playoffs (and Mike Smith is pointless!) behind the Flyers & Pens who had that crazy series. They've only failed to score three or more goals in a game once in eight games. So I guess I'm also weighing the quality of scoring chances they're getting and the circumstances as to whether they're up or not beyond the shear number when I suggest it's been more even than some folks are giving them credit for.
 
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