In Major League Baseball and the NBA, the All-Star Game usually signals the half-way point of the season.
The NFL All-Star game is now the week before the Super Bowl while the NHL’s traditional break for assessment is Christmas. With essentially October, November and December in the record books and three months of play to follow, teams use the holiday break to review the past and plan for the future.
In the case of the Phoenix Coyotes, the excitement of new ownership, the addition of talented free agents, and the re-signing of general manager Don Maloney, head coach Dave Tippett and goalie Mike Smith were all encouraging off-season signings.
Once the euphoria died and the Coyotes took to the ice, the enthusiasm of new ownership and expectations for the future quietly died. Production on the ice has not matched the Coyotes’ overall spirit and now leaves this hockey team scrambling to make up ground.
Here at the break, the Coyotes managed a 19-10-7 record—fifth of seven teams in the Pacific Division.
The competitive nature of the Western Conference remains strong and a factor which could impede the Coyotes’ drive for post-s ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Brown
Where the Phoenix Coyotes Stand at Christmas 2013
December 24th, 2013 by Mark Brown Leave a reply »
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