Depth.
All good teams need troops in reserve and, in recent weeks, the Phoenix Coyotes demonstrated this requirement for success.
Coming into Thursday’s home game with the New York Islanders, the Coyotes had four regulars out of the lineup and a fifth, defenseman Zbynek Michalek, skated in only his second straight game. That was after Michalek missed nine consecutive games with an injury.
The Coyotes’ 6-3 win over the Islanders served as a testament to both their resiliency and production. In the victory, Rob Klinkhammer and Mikkel Boedker scored twice, picked up the baton and supported the theory that teamwork triumphs.
With captain Shane Doan out indefinitely with an undisclosed illness, forward Lauri Korpikoski missing his 10th straight game and defenseman Derek Morris out for his third consecutive game and eight of his last 15 encounters, the Coyotes demonstrated the importance of players responding in near-crisis situations.
“With key guys out, everyone stepped forward and chipped in,” said center Mike Ribeiro, who contributed with his second three-point game of the season. “Plus, we’re playing the way we s ...
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Article written by Mark Brown
With Key Players Out, the Phoenix Coyotes Benefit from a Strong Bench
December 12th, 2013 by Mark Brown Leave a reply »
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