2010 NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings-Phoenix Coyotes Preview

April 13th, 2010 by Nick Mordowanec Leave a reply »

As the NHL approaches its annual playoff season—a postseason unlike any other in sports because of its grueling style—there are many surprising teams who have climbed up the rankings and now formidably challenge for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

One of those teams is the up-and-coming Phoenix Coyotes.

The Coyotes are the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, and they didn’t get there by accident. Behind former Dallas Stars coach Dave Tippett, Phoenix amassed a 50-25-7 record this season. In doing so, the team attained more points than the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche, and their first-round opponent, the Detroit Red Wings.

Tippett has done a great job resurrecting the team from the annals of the former Wayne Gretzky regime. Phoenix is a scrappy young bunch which prides itself on playing tough defense and depending a lot on its goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov.

Speaking of Bryzgalov, he has been magnificent this season, attaining a 2.29 goals-against-average and a .920 save percentage. He will be quite busy when this series opens Wednesday night.

That is because the Coyotes are pla ...

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