The Phoenix Coyotes have done the impossible! They have knocked off the heavily favoured Nashville Predators, and now find themselves in the Conference Championships for the first time in history! Led by the stellar play of goaltender Mike Smith this team looks hungry and focused, and wants nothing else but to bring the Stanley Cup back to the Desert. The only problem is they may be facing their toughest opponent yet.
The Los Angeles Kings are the team to beat right now. They have knocked off the number one and two seeds in stunning fashion, and hold an 8-1 record thus far. They are also the favorite to win the Cup now, and seem determined to do so. I wouldn’t write Phoenix out of this series though as they have a lot of similarities with the Kings, and a lot of momentum as well. Their goaltending is pretty much a wash, as Smith and Quick have both been stellar. Both teams have also been great on D in their own zone, and have had key goals coming from all four lines. They were also both underdogs in their first two series, and won both without needing seventh games.
There’s no question that this will be the toughest challenge yet for the desert dogs, but having already exceeded expectations they really have nothing to lose. Because of that, they are playing loose, light, and enjoying themselves, and that can be a deadly combination. But whatever happens in the next round and going forward, the Phoenix Coyotes have made franchise history this season, and nobody can take that away from them!
The other great news for the fans and residents of Glendale, Arizona, is their beloved Phoenix Coyotes might once again become permanent residents themselves. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced Monday that the league has reached a preliminary agreement to sell the team to a group headed by former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison. Bettman and Jamison both held press conferences to discuss the proposed sale, but it is still in it’s infancy, so only time will tell if this is the deal that finally goes through and keeps the Coyotes in Phoenix for long term. Jamison is also currently in negotiations with the city of Glendale over a new lease on the arena. Both the sale and the arena lease will probably take a few months to negotiate and complete, so don’t expect anything further to be announced until this season is at an end. So as it stands, it might still be Gary Bettman on the ice raising the Cup as the “owner” of the Phoenix Coyotes…
