[Note: I've been politely informed, by a Phoenix Coyotes staff member, that there is a no-photography rule in the Jobing.com press box, a rule that I was not previously aware of. So, out of respect to them and their regulation, I have removed the photo that was posted here, and rewritten the relevant part of the post.]
First, there were a couple questions last night about the crowd size inside Jobing.com Arena. The announced attendance was 7,128. The estimate of the actual crowd was somewhere around 4,000, and that’s not even the smallest crowd I’ve seen there. This is not, at all, to dump on the Coyotes. The people who work for the team and the arena are some of the most pleasant people in all of the NHL, but they’re in a bad spot right now.
As for the game, here’s how The Arizona Republic covered it, followed by some postgame quotes from the Coyotes’ locker room…
Phoenix Coyotes fall to Los Angeles Kings
—–
COACH DAVE TIPPETT
(on the difference with the Kings from last season…)
TIPPETT: “They are playing the same style. Obviously Richards gives it some depth in the middle that they didn’t have. Their center ice is pretty good. They’ve got some quality players over there; I thought we competed hard and we were looking for a way to win and we just couldn’t do it tonight.’’
(on the game…)
TIPPETT: “We were more determined. I’d like to see us execute a little better with the puck. There were some situations where we could be a little bit cleaner with the puck. Mike Smith was excellent. The bottom line is you’ve got to find a way to win and we didn’t do that.’’
(on how to prevent losing from becoming a trend…)
TIPPETT: “Well, you’ve just got to continue pounding away at it. We have to play well as a group, we all know that. There are situations that arise in a game where you’ve got to find a way to get on top of it and the one thing is … the two games where we got a lead we got in a rhythm. when we’re chasing it’s a little harder for us and you know that’s where we’re at. We have to try and execute a little better. We’ve just got to keep pounding away at it.’’
—–
MIKE SMITH
(on the game…)
SMITH: “It was kind of a blah game, I thought. You know we did have some chances to score but Quick came up with some big saves. We did some good things but it’s an ongoing process and we have to keep the pedal on the floor and keep improving every game.’’
(on the Coyotes’ scoring chances…)
SMITH: “Like I said, we had some scoring chances to score, but Quick is a good goalie and he made saves at times when he needed to make them. Saying that, we need to find ways to score on goalies. There are a lot of good goalies in the league but it’s tough to score. Goalies are good and teams are very good in this league.’’
—–
SHANE DOAN
(on areas of needed improvement…)
DOAN: “I think we have played three good games in a row, even though last game was a bad one and this one was better. We are going the right direction. We just have to make sure we clean up our own zone.’’
(on any discouragement from tonight’s game…)
DOAN: “I don’t think we are discouraged, but we are disappointed. We know this was big because we wanted to get above .500. Tonight wasn’t the way we wanted it to end and we have to make sure we are better on Sunday.’’
So sad.
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Love the view from Arizona. When can we go back. lol
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Wow that is sad. I hope the Coyotes move. Phoenix does not deserve a NHL Franchise.
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gralx Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:57 am
@Steve, The problem is the Phoenix (mostly the east valley) do deserve an NHL franchise. They put the team in the worst possible position by putting them in Glendale. The money in Phx is all in the east end and they put the team in the furthest north west corner of the metropolitan area. It would be like putting the Kings in Oxnard and expecting to sell out the arena on a weeknight, not gonna happen! I won’t miss the yotes too much when they move. I will miss getting to see the Kings in here a few times a year though. Thank God for Center Ice!
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bonvivant1 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:23 am
@gralx, I think you’re spot on. I live in Glendale, unfortunately. I don’t particularly care for Arizona. We moved from Irvine about 8 years ago. I remember an interview with Roenick. He said the same thing. The East Valley and Scottsdale would have been a better place to put the rink. I did not go to the game but I’m sure I could have gotten free tickets somewhere. Westgate has been a bust. We looked at some lofts next to the arena. The property taxes are outrageous.
All the snow birds are not here yet. Come Thanksgiving and Christmas attendance will increase. It has got to be deflating for the Yotes players. The Arizona economy is not helping either. Hockey is just not a priority out here.
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Ben Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 11:00 am
@gralx, I think the comparison of putting the Kings in Oxnard is a little off. I just moved back to LA from the East Valley area of Phoenix, Gilbert to be exact and going anywhere in the Phoenix metropolitan area only takes a few minutes. The arena itself is only a stone’s throw away from Tempe and downtown, literally. The sad part is that the people of Phoenix simply don’t appreciate hockey.
My buddy, a season ticket holder for the Yotes, was at the game last night and said he thought the attendance was around 5000, tops. They have some die hard fans, just not enough. When the snowbirds get there, the attendance will assuredly rise and the surrounding area is a VERY cool place to hang out. I think the saddest part about all of it is that Phoenix is SUCH a sports town but the hockey club gets no recognition.
Spring training for baseball goes off. The Suns, Sun Devils and Diamondbacks have a sick following and every gas station you visit will confirm that notion. The Yotes, unfortunately, are a decent hockey team but they advertising simply isn’t doing the job.
Prices for last night’s game: $22 lower bowl, $56 on the glass. That seriously sucks. Wish the best to the club and the true fans who may get jilted out of a team.
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Holy cow that’s pitiful! I can’t imagine how the Phoenix players must feel. When you hear guys like Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty talk about how the crowd pumps them up to play, what to the Yote players do?
Move ‘em to KC. Free the Coyotes! That’s really too bad.
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Shakes Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:34 am
@Cynic,
Occupy Glendale!
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Belexes Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:28 am
@Cynic,
Please, PLEASE, move them to KC!
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wavesinair Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:41 am
@Cynic,
The expansion south is dying a slow death. One could blame it on the “economy” but it’s hard to do when many other teams are thriving. Too much, too soon NHL.
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The people of Glendale don’t know what they are missing. That arena is a great place to watch hockey. I’ve travelled out there 4 times to watch and it never disappoints…really sad to see the empty seats in that picture.
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Couple things that has impressed me is the trememdous improvement in coaching from TM and JK the last two games. It appears their combined 50 plus years of coaching has finally kicked in. Bahahahahahaha. Seriously though, everytime I look at Mike Richards, I think this guy is a wily veteran. I can’t believe he is only 26. He just has a presence on the ice, always poised and always dangerous. I think Philly is going to lose on this trade.
I like Mitchell but I think he may not be signed next year. Not sure they will want to sign a 35 year old defensemen when you have Voynov (and others) in the system. No matter how good he is, at 35 he is on the downside of his career and Voynov certainly has more upside at this point. This is how you build teams by getting rid of the players on the downside. Plus we can use the extra cap space for a decent goalie (lol) I think Martinez has excellant defensive skills and could be converted into a defensive defenseman if the Kings decide to go in that direction.
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Crown Royal Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:56 am
@bringbackbutchgoring,
Starting in the first regular season game it appears that JK has finally allowed? the point men to rotate down (JJ, last night Voynov) and having the other d-man rotate into that vacant point position with a forward rotating up to take the opposite point. This kind of movement is what many fans have been hoping would be allowed for some time. Having said that, I was at the game last night and the Coyotes power play looked better. More movement, quicker shots, crisper passing. Quick was just soooo good!!
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Kinguy Josh Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:57 am
@bringbackbutchgoring, WTH??? Why are you talking about letting Willie go? It’s 6 games into the season! Talk about it once we win the Cup, not in October……
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bringbackbutchgoring Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:50 am
@Kinguy Josh, I prefer to think of it as more about letting Voynov stay next year
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KC23 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:40 pm
@bringbackbutchgoring, You clearly have been spoiled by Mitchell. Take a look at our record last year without Mitchell. There is a reason he is on our FIRST LINE defense.
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tuan jim Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 4:17 pm
@KC23,
Yes.
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It’s really just a question of economics there in Phoenix/Glendale. They made the playoffs last year and yet they still can’t fill that arena. They don’t have the fan base or economic base we have here in the LA area. I guess the Hockey in the desert experiment didn’t work out. Now give someone else a try.
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go Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:01 am
@KingsFan562, It is not just economics… It is also geography. Glendale is at the northwestern end of the Phoenix metro area. Bad idea to put a stadium out there.
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bobknob Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:15 am
@KingsFan562,
as pointed out many times before, their location in the Phoenix area is a major source of their woes.
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CosmicQueso Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:34 pm
@bobknob, Unfortunately when they played downtown at America West Arena they didn’t draw either. At the time the thought was they needed a new arena. It is what it is, and that just isn’t a hockey town. It’s too bad, the team, arena and area are great.
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They might have given away and sold 7,128 seats, but no way did that many show up. I think 4000 is generous.
That team needs to move the hell out of Phoenix. There is nothing that organization can do win back fans. I don’t think KC is the answer though. Maybe Quebec gets a team back.
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Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:31 am
@lars1970, That’s the way Quebec looked for years. And they love hockey there.
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Wasn’t too long ago that the Forum looked like that. Problem was, that the Kings during those years couldn’t even make the playoffs, and the fans were getting impatient. Pheonix isn’t even near that bad, and have been steadily improving.
Sign of the times, or a sign of a culture that’s oblivious to hockey. Not sure how much more 1 is responsible over the other, but for the true hockey fans in the area, there gonna lose that team soon if fans don’t start attending games.
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Jietoh Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:36 am
@Dominick, Saying ‘wasn’t long ago’ and ‘Forum’ in the same sentence makes you sound like an old guy Dom… The Kings have been in the Staples Center for what? 10 years now?
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Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:38 am
@Jietoh, If 10 years is a long time to you then you missed some wonderful years. The Forum rocked.
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Jietoh Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:41 am
@Dominick, Naa, I didn’t miss them… I had season tickets (shared among a few friends) back in the Gretzky era… But 10 years is a little more than ‘not long ago’…
Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:45 am
@Jietoh, Not if you’ve loved the Kings since 1979.
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dan Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:02 am
@Dominick, just admit it.10 years is a long time.
Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:28 am
@dan,
Just for you. 10 years is a looooong time.
Kingsfanone Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 1:56 pm
@Dominick,
Yeah, back in the day, in my hockey formulative years, we used to pay $6 and sit almost wherever we wanted. Knowing a couple ushers helped, but back in the late 80′s, the Great Western Forum was an empty building for Kings hockey.
Used to take my then GF to Lakers games, and she always used to thank me for taking het thru the “best part of town” going up Prairie! I got on the waiting list for Lakers season seats, a couple years later I got Kings season seats. That same week the Lakers called me. I kept my Kings tix, but we went to Laker games still, and Magic’s Midsummer Nights Magic charity game.
That pic of Phx looked a lot like the Forum before Gretz changed it all.
The good ole days! And yeah, I’m old too!
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KC23 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:43 pm
@Dominick, The forum never looked that bad. The low point was perhaps 6 – 7 thousand fans in the stands and that was rare. They did go through sometime with about 8 – 10,000 regularly. Talk about easy to find a good seat. In those days the first 5 minutes you spent half the time looking for seats to move to and half on the game.
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I love the view from Phoenix!
By the way, quick philosophical question: if no one attends games to see Shane Doan’s 299 goals, did they really happen?
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Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:34 am
@Shakes, Only if their televised. Then fans from other states who follow hockey can witness it on center ice.
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RagBone Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:54 am
@Shakes,
Philosophical points aside, I saw him score altogether too many of those goals myself, both in person and on TV. Last night is the only time I can remember that he did not have a point against the Kings.
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Steve W Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 12:28 pm
@RagBone, I believe Bob or Jim mentioned in the broadcast last night,that Doan hasn’t gotten a point against the Kings in the last 7 games between them.
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Imagine Tippett with a talented team? Come home soon Dave (maybe in 3 years after TM has lifted his cup a few times and retires), we’ll leave the red light on for you!
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KC23 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:45 pm
@Stuart, I consider Tippet to be in the top 5 coaches in the league. Best coach I think is the Pen’s coach.
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I joked about the attendance in a post yesterday but bottom line is the situation truly is pitiful, as Cynic put it. I’m personally still pretty pissed that the NHL didn’t bite the bullet on the inevitable move this team is going to have to make and sell it to True North so Winnipeg could have its original team back. Because seriously, how long can this actually go on?
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The view from Phoenix – EMPTY!!
they also need to check Doan for concussion symptoms – “We played 3 good games in a row, even though the last one was bad”?
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Is it me, or does the rink in the picture take on the shape of a peanut?
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KC23 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@Dominick, its a pan view (fish eye)
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It was lonely in the barn for sure.
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even though by default i have to hate division rivals i haver alot of respect for Pheonix. They play some good hockey and Dave Tippet is a hell of a coach. What he has done for this team the past couple years is nothing short of amazing IMO. I hope the Hockey gods shine down on them and they are able to pull through their financial/ownershiop problems and stay in Glendale.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:40 am
side note……If the yotes start winning the fans will come!
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OneTimer Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:41 am
@BrokeKingsFan, Very solid post.
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There’s some really honest people in Glendale. Why the hell would you buy seats in the nose bleeds, then actually sit there?
They could’ve moved all the way down to the glass, and nobody would of noticed.
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go Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:14 am
@Dominick, I think that happened. The lower bowl seemed to fill up as the game went on.
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I love the kidney-shaped rink.
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Pitiful crowd in Phoenix. We need to keep them in the West for travel break. I HAVE THE SOLUTION! Bring them to Las Vegas, we can build a super complex overnight, sellout every night. This city has been begging for ANY major sport, they have support for it and just think, I can post about being at the Kings game 4 or 5 times a year!! Oh, you guys down south might make a little trek to Vegas (saw a couple people here for frozen fury, lol).
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Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:51 am
@Happy Lappy, Or put a team in Oregon, and Washington. Then you’ll have to come here more often to catch a game, and you can buy me a beer. lol
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Stuart Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:05 am
@Dominick, I thought you were from Oceanside… we have a Dom doppleganger in our midst!!
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Stuart Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:06 am
@Stuart, I know how we can tell who the real Dom is…
What’s the difference between Corsi and Rel Corsi?
Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:13 am
@Stuart, I am. If he doesn’t get a team in Vegas, then he has to come here.
Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:57 am
@Stuart, Oh yea. The difference is compareable to me driving somewhere in traffic, and my girlfreind driving the same car in the same traffic to the same place. I would have a better corsi rating because I don’t drive like an idiot.
Stuart Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 11:16 am
@Dom, “me driving somewhere in traffic, and my girlfreind driving the same car in the same traffic to the same place.” but would two people be able to drive the same car in the same traffic? hmmm, seems to be a fallacy in there somewhere.
Duck Dom, you’re about to be punched!
Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 11:55 am
@Stuart, LOL!
KC23 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:55 pm
@Dominick, I bet Portland Oregon could support a professional hockey team. All they got is the jailbreakers, but they live and die with that team. Big sports fans there. Seattle wouldn’t be bad either as they would draw some fans over from Canada.
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Jack The Lad Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:06 am
@Happy Lappy, I’d like to see them stay in the west as well. How about moving them to Long Beach and calling them the Ice Dogs!!!!
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OnTheFly Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:07 am
@Happy Lappy,
I’d come to Vegas just to see you and your girlfriend from Eye Candy. Looking forward to the next Frozen Fury as Stanley Cup champions.
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Ben Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 11:12 am
@Happy Lappy, I thought it was illegal for Vegas to have a major sports team? If not illegal, a definite conflict of interests.
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It’s BEYOND disheartening to see that. We love Arizona (the sun, the golf, the spas, the people) … but NO pro franchise anywhere can survive, or should support, THIS. They should move these guys back north to Quebec (since Winnipeg is now taken again) and complete the circle. Problem is- they’d struggle there too, likely.
Just sad.
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that picture looks bad, but its only 2 minutes into the game…7pm is a little early, im sure the late comers trickled in eventually, but still probably not that many.
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Jamie Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:35 pm
@Sebastian, I totally agree. A picture taken 2 minutes into a game is not a good representation of the attendance. Many people are still getting concessions, or havent arrived yet. I live 65 miles from the arena and during rush hour traffic it can take 2 hours to get there. I hate seeing an empty arena, the coyotes deserve better.
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I wanna bring up something that @Crown Royal pointed out on his post about Voynov being wide open on the powerplay last night and the Kings players not passing him the puck. Interesting! I noticed the same thing the other night vs ST. Louis. There were several time in that game where Voynov created huge seperation on the powerplay and was WIDE OPEN!
I wonder, is this just a situation where the players dont trust the kid yet, or this players not used to playing with this guy yet? Thoughts? Obsevations anyone?
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Crown Royal Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:00 am
@puck73,
When DD first joined the Kings JJ wouldn’t pass him the puck either. It was mostly JJ who didn’t pass Voynov the puck last night when open. Maybe it’s a JJ thing when a new guy is out there on the point with him but it was VERY noticable last night. Voynov had a lot of space.
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fsd1 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:03 am
@puck73, I remember that play, then realized he was moving down low but there wanst anyone backing up the point leaving the middle of the ice wide open if a psss was deflected, i think it turned out to be a smart move.
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Crown Royal Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:09 am
@fsd1,
When Voynov rotated down, JJ moved over to his side of the ice at the point and a forward rotated in the direction of the point JJ vacated. The passing lanes to Voynov were open.
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Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:20 am
@Crown Royal, The Kings had that look on the PP a few different times. Both D on the left side, and Richards on the right point. I don’t think that the play is supposed to be made to Voynov at that point because the Kings are trying to set up the 1 timer from the point. I watched the game over after puck mentioned it last night, and the play is to the slot, with Brown banging away at it. Voynov is supposed to be the decoy.
Crown Royal Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:40 am
@Dominick,
JJ scored the two game winners in much the same way Voynov was moving down. The difference was JJ went deeper and they were 4 on 3′s.
I don’t disagree that Voynov was the decoy but that option has to be excercised sometimes in order to make the decoy effective. The other thing is Voynov could have pretty easily hit the net with a shot from there on a one-timer.
Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 11:11 am
@Crown Royal,
I agree. I don’t know if Voynov wasn’t noticed, passed up, or just JJ was too focused on making the predetermined play. I might have it totally wrong, but I was just looking at what the play was set up for. JJ, and Richards might very well make that play 3 times out of 10, and they just missed tried something else.
I think TM will look at those things over a 3 or 4 game period when he evaluates Voynov to see how he did here. I would take those things into consideration.
KC23 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:50 pm
@puck73, sometimes I wonder if it vets recognizing the rookie is not playing the system and will not reward him because of it, but it does concern me. There is some evidence that suggest that young euro’s are not getting a fair shake, but it’s purely skeptical.
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Sad to see that kind of support in AZ… Sakatoon,Saskatchewan could use a franchise.They would get great support by people who love the sport! (and the team would get to enjoy those prairie winters
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As you all know, the NHL said there looking at relignment after this season. If Phoenix moves, and it looks like they will. How does that effect our team? First more travel for sure. So where is there a place thats closest to LA (for less travel) that can support a Hockey team? Can Texas support two teams (its a big state) or does Dallas move to the Northwest? Does Vancouver take Phoenix’s place in the Pacific? Thinking outside the crease, can Mexico City support a team? The health of the NHL is the most important thing even if its more travel for us, but Playoff seeding is also important.
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Niko Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:06 am
@OnTheFly,
Seattle would be great, although a team there should be in the NW division as a natural rivalry would be created with Van. What about Portland?
Looking at SW cities and population, Phoenix is actually the largest, followed by Denver, who have the Avs, then it’s Vegas or SLC.
Some might argue San Diego, but CA has enough teams imo.
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WOW, can’t believe what I just saw. I mean come on, those guys in the upper bowl should steal some seats in the lower reds
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Oh man, that’s really sad to see how bad attendance is for PHX… I feel bad for their players. They need to find a better home
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Wow that’s a bummer, really feel for the ‘yotes. Tippett is a tremendous coach, yet there is no fan base to succeed for. Surprised they have done so well with such a lack of support. Move them, they deserve more fans.
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That’s pretty alarming and I can’t imagine how PHX’s front office feels about that. I mean, there are more people who show up for the Kings pregame skate on a regular basis than for an actual Coyotes game.
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That’s really too bad about the crowd – the ASU and UofA club hockey teams draw better as did the old Phoenix Roadrunners.
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I think the Phoenix experiment is over. I can’t imagine anybody throwing good money out the window to keep that team in Phoenix. It really is a shame for the loyal fans but there just aren’t enough of them to support an NHL team. Time to move them to Quebec. The NHL can’t keep throwing teams in non-traditional markets and hoping for the best. Moving back to proven markets are the only way the league can grow. Old markets are now viable again with the salary cap.
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wes Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 4:47 pm
@Kings23, it would make more sense for the Miami franchise to move to Quebec and the Phoenix franchise to stay on the western half of the continent and land in one of the following:
Seattle
Portland
Las Vegas
Salt Lake City
Oklahoma City
Saskatoon
even Kansas City
(top choices are at the top of the list)
from the standpoints of alignment/ travel/ schedule, it’s best not to shift the league even more heavily into the Eastern Time Zone than it already is.
Miami to Quebec and one of the other strugglers back east (Islanders? Jackets? or?) to one of the above cities as well.
the NHL would work in either Seattle or Portland, and perhaps 1 or 2 of the other places.
a little symmetry, please.
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It has to be excruciatingly demoralizing to play at home for the Coyotes, but they still manage to play pretty good hockey in spite of it.
On the other hand, I can also understand why — despite Bettman’s well-intentioned efforts — the place is empty; who would want to invest time and money in a team that may move at any given time?
While a lot of Kings fans have harangued Kings ownership for the construction of Staples Center and the adjoining area, it proved they were financially invested in Los Angeles and the team and were in it for the long-haul.
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Frostback Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:06 am
@dMan, Great point.
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puck73 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:11 am
@dMan, Good post. I think back when that crook Bruce Mcnall started to go into the toilet financially and sold the team to Sudikoff and Cohen, I really was scared that the team might be sold to the wrong people and move.
Thank god those 2 sold the team in 1996 to Anshutz and Roski, who really turned things around and in turn have made downtown L.A a place to hang out, where before it was a real stinkhole.
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i don’t that’s even 4000 people!
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Stuart Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:10 am
@stephan, I counted, and it’s not.
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puck73 Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:14 am
@Stuart, Dude, this is a little off topic but I really enjoy your battle’s with @ShotOnGoal. To me, its comedy and total entertainment!
Funny thing is, I think you would really enjoy watching a game with him. He threw a great watch party last saturday and it was great!
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Stuart Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:37 am
@puck73, I think I get on his nerves… LOL seems like a cool enough cat, though. we just see things differently, that’s all.
Hopefully when I’m finally able to catch a suite night, we’ll all chalk it up to love of our Kings and have a drink on their prosperity!!!
If a goal horn blows in a forest…er…jobing arena…and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
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Stuart Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 10:38 am
@wavesinair, it depends what it blows, no?
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That view is sad. They need to move this team sooner rather than later.
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Rich, you might want to start brushing up on your French. A move to QC would solve the alignment problem as well as the Phoenix problem.
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Look Hockey in the Sunbelt states are only ever a big thing when you win consistently. Dallas is a perfect example of that. Right now they’re not drawing anybody. During their Stanley Cup years when they were always a contender to win it, they would consistently sell out or close to it. You have to consistently win to draw interest. You don’t have the crazy fan bases like Toronto or Philadelphia that will cheer you on through thick and thin in the sunbelts. If the Coyotes start winning cups, and I mean win cups not make playoffs and get bounced in round 1, they’ll draw fans. They might not go head to head in attendance with Toronto, but they’ll be a viable franchise.
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wavesinair Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 11:44 am
@E-Dog,
If sunbelt teams need Cups to stay viable, then that is a clear indication of a failed expansion plan.
To have 4K fans show up for a team that makes the playoffs is nothing less than pathetic.
Winning is always key, but there are ups and downs with every franchise.
In the end, it’s location, location, location.
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umm… Bring em down to Houston. We are dying for some NHL hockey down here. We Houstonians don’t really like Dallas so that rivalry would be instant. Plus we are the largest city in the US that doesnt have one yet.
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i agree with most of what’s being said about the situation in glendale/phoenix…
i see bigger crowds at the rite-aid checkout counter on a daily basis…
i don’t see how things can continue there after the season…but i said that last year, too…
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Dominick Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 12:05 pm
@variable, And the year before.
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variable Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 12:22 pm
@Dominick,
yeah, yr right…(!)
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Move the team to Canada. Hamilton Quebec. Gosh even if it gets moved to Victoria or Saskatoon they will get more fans than that. Wow.
Go Kings Go
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If they had a little fan support, they would be a much better team. Glendale Ariz. residents better get their act together and start supporting the Coyotes or they’re going to lose the team to Seattle, and when that happens, Glendale Ariz. will go back to being just another place to stop for gas on a highway that leads anywhere out of state. They’ll be consigned to the sports franchise trash heap of history, forever forgotten and ignored by the sports world. It’ll cost ‘em millions in revenue and it will serve them right.
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I feel bad for the Coyotes and the fans their so much is influx. I am glad we won the game but I can see why its hard to come out and put your heart into it when you look up in the stands and see nothing but empty seats.
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The Coyotes didn’t draw when they played downtown at America West either.
I love Jobing.com arena, and used to have a house close to the arena. We went as often as we could. We were there a couple Halloween’s ago and we counted 824 people in the stands.
Great team, good core fanbase, there just ain’t enough of ‘em. The location of the arena being the problem just isn’t true, unfortunately.
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Unfortunately for that loser coyotes staff member they will most likely lose their job when the Coyotes moves somewhere the team can get an attendance above that of a WHL team
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Yea I been in phx for the past 10 years. Only reason I don’t want them to move is kuz when the Kings come to town I’m at the game. Gotta see the boys live every now and then. And if u guys watched the game on fsn I guess they had me and my friends on tv last night in the first period right after the fight. Was a good game. Can’t wait to go back Oct 29. Go Kings Go.
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OUCH! That pic got reposted all over the place, too…(the following is NOT a link to the actual image, but to a list of Kings blogs, one of which actually has an image.)
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/los/blogs
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Regarding it actually being a blah game…yeah…I feel asleep a couple times. Still proud of Quicker and the gang, though.
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I live in Costa Mesa now but I used to live in Tempe, AZ. Bottom line, the management of the whole Coyotes situation has just been utterly poor and fan support has turned into fan apathy.
In terms of location, yeah, that’s definitely a problem when you consider the demographics of metro Phoenix. There’s ice rinks with hockey programs located in Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, and Phoenix’s Camelback and Paradise Valley neighborhoods; all of which are located in East Valley. Further, there’s a roller league that plays in Scottsdale and a group of street players that meet in Tempe. The Coyotes’ arena should have been privately funded and build where the Mesa Riverview, a retail complex that is failing because of an over-competitive location, stands today in Mesa, AZ. Had that happened, it would be the crown jewel on an unlikely hockey mecca where everyone who cares about the game could go and support. Instead, they’re located in Glendale in West Valley, where there’s far less support for hockey, and stick to having a 7:00 PM start time for weekday games. There’s no way a family of four or any ensemble of people can get off work, round everyone up, and get there before the first period ends 41 games a season with Phoenix’s underdeveloped infrastructure and limited transit options. By comparison, Kings start at 7:30, and the Ducks can get away with a 7PM start time because they’re centrally located in their market.
However, there’s also the player/ownership factor, that also plays into this. The Coyotes didn’t acquire a star center emerging into his prime this off-season to fortify their already impressive roster. Instead they got a center who’s over 35 and is coming off a near-career ending injury to fill a hole left by a 20-year-old who’s being a holdout. They aren’t watching an All-American goaltender being pushed by one of hockey’s brightest goaltending prospects; they’re instead seeing their former starter getting paid like crazy in Philadelphia while seeing their new platoon of a goalie who’s too horribly inconsistent to be considered a starting goaltender and a guy that the Kings previously sent to Manchester before he went to free agency. A real ownership group would allow the team to make the moves necessary to invest in a team that’s as well-defined as the Kings are. But they don’t, and what your left with is a team that makes moves to inflate their cap hit even if it means they aren’t going to be as competitive or as complete as other other teams because they can’t afford to do anything else.
So what’s left? A product that isn’t broadcast for 82 games a season and has a poor image in a city that needs something to watch now that the Suns are being locked out. Fans aren’t making it out because they’ve been robbed of everything there is to cheer for; and what’s the point of remaining committed to a team if they’re just going to leave you anyway? How long is the city going to hear stories about “prospective owners” before they’re silenced by the sound of moving vans? Until an owner steps up and makes the type of innovative changes needed to change the fortunes of the franchise, this is exactly what the NHL should expect; and the two teams in Southern California would be no different if given the same circumstances.
Sorry for the novel, but I had to sound off on the situation.
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So Rich had to remove the pic? I am thinking that if they had 17,000 there he would not have been asked…
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