Why Phoenix Coyotes will win the Stanley Cup Championship –NHL Special
Going up against an extremely talented team like Chicago Blackhawks might not be the easiest of tasks but seeing how hard Phoenix Coyotes worked this past 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season, seeing them win the Stanley Cup championship
would certainly not be surprising.
It is a great job done on part of the players that they have managed to stay together and work like a team despite the numerous issues that the franchise is facing at the moment. From ownership issues to staying in Phoenix or moving elsewhere, players on
the Coyotes team did not let it affect them one bit.
Phoenix just might have some of the most underrated players in the NHL at the moment since they possess great capability of getting the job done and at the same time do not get the recognition they deserve. Despite getting their team back in order and capturing
the Pacific Division top spot to stand third in the Western Conference, Phoenix is still always underestimated and in the end, that might help them win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Coyotes made history by taking the division title for the first time in history of their organisation and are definitely looking to take it a step further with the Stanley Cup.
Mike Smith is the one and all for Phoenix at the moment and if the young goalie, who has a 2.23 goals against average and an impressive .930 save percentage, can click and stay consistent, Coyotes should not have a problem in whipping out Chicago.
He was a huge factor in the Coyotes’ three for four wins during their regular season matchups between each other and seeing that record alone, Phoenix unquestionably has the upper hand.
Ray Whitney, Radim Vrbata and captain Shane Doan will be the three players to look for that will bring Phoenix’s offensive depth and help them pot the much needed goals. All three players have the ability to carry their team out of a last minute mess or
either dominate from the starting minute.
Whitney is a veteran left winger who registered 77 points (24 goals, 53 assists) in all 82 games played with a stunning plus-minus rating of 26. Radim Vrbata followed up with 62 points (35 goals, 27 assists) in 77 games while Doan shows a little bit of scoring
and assisting with 50 points (22 goals, 28 assists) in 79.
Defensemen like Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are big guys that contribute heavily to keeping the puck out of Phoenix’s defensive end. They are also able to score goals making their defensive line-up even more lethal. This is something Chicago does
not have and that is defensemen, which are able to play a physical game and score some goals.
Lauri Korpikoski and Raffi Torres are also elite players that can lead Phoenix to a victory any day.
It will ultimately be up to head coach, Dave Tippett, to decide which players he will be playing in certain situations to get the maximum benefit and if he managed to play his cards well, Coyotes could finally get a chance to hold that Stanley Cup high.
Defeating the Chicago Blackhawks would be a huge boost to Phoenix, a team that has lost in two straight quarterfinals the past two seasons, but now, as the Detroit Red Wings are not in their way right in the start, Coyotes should be able to gain enough momentum
to take them down the following series.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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