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`Coaching tool’ turned out OK for Voynov

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Slava Voynov made his coach grimace, then grin. In the final two minutes last night, with the Kings nursing a one-goal lead and the Phoenix Coyotes trying to get goalie Mike Smith out of the net for an extra attacker, Voynov was a one-man gang. He went behind the net to get the puck and kept it behind the goal line for approximately 30 seconds, with the Coyotes ferociously trying to get the puck away from him. In a way, it was startling to see a defenseman in that deep, rather than back at the blue line guarding against a counter-attack, but it worked. Darryl Sutter today talked about the shift, and what he was thinking as he watched from the bench.

SUTTER: “Well, when he first did it, I didn’t think it was a very wise decision. We were protecting a one-goal lead with two minutes left, and your defenseman is — not joining the rush, he is the rush. And then he’s the forecheck, too. When he first did it, I was going, `OK, coaching tool.”’

Question: But it worked out OK…

SUTTER: “Yeah.”

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