Coyotes: Tocchet calls for sharper focus as team looks for first win.
After another swing-and-miss at securing their first win of the season, the Coyotes went back to the drawing board Wednesday.
Literally.
The team gathered on the ice in front of the white board stuck to the boards inside Gila River Arena as coach Rick Tocchet strategized with a marker in hand.
And despite the 0-2-1 start, Tocchet’s message on the brink of Try No. 4 Thursday at home against the Red Wings was the same one he’s been preaching since he took over behind the bench before the season.
“We’re not ready for new stuff yet,” Tocchet said. “We’re going to stick on this chapter for a while.”
Although they had almost three weeks to adjust to a new style of play in training camp, the Coyotes still look like a group recalibrating to a different direction.
The bumpy transition has been clear in the variety of their results, as the Coyotes lost after leading by multiple goals, succumbed to a late-game rally and most recently were overwhelmed 5-2 by the Golden Knights Tuesday in Vegas.
Arizona gave up the first four goals on six shots. But patchy play has been a common denominator in all defeats, with
Outlook: The Red Wings had their two-game win streak to open the season snapped Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to the Stars on the road. Before then, Detroit had outlasted Minnesota 4-2 and edged Ottawa 2-1 in overtime. Defenseman Mike Green leads the Red Wings in points with six – all assists – while wingers Anthony Mantha and Martin Frk each have a team-high two goals. Goalie Jimmy Howard has played twice, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.44 goals-against average and .961 save percentage. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall has yet to make his season debut. He dealt with back spasms during training camp and a sore groin more recently but could play Thursday. Fellow blue liner Danny DeKeyser left Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury. He’s questionable to play against the Coyotes.
snowballing mistakes the most glaring issue Tocchet feels the team has to fix to give itself a chance to finally collect two points.
“First guy makes a mistake. It doesn’t mean the next guy has to make a mistake,” he said. “Hold your ground.”
This ripple effect could be indicative of the learning curve the Coyotes are experiencing since it’s easier to stabilize when everyone’s well-versed in the same playbook.
“It’s also … ownership and accountability,” Tocchet said.
And those are factors that are independent of any style the Coyotes choose.
“Hockey’s hockey,” center Brad Richardson said. “When it comes down to it, it’s about compete and effort, being willing to do the little things to win. You can talk about systems and all that stuff but if we’re not working hard, it doesn’t matter.”
Through three games, the Coyotes have given up 20 more shots than they’ve taken. Tighter defending and winning more puck battles can help shift the discrepancy, and that was a focus Wednesday. Players vied to keep the puck away each other, crashed along the boards and tried to establish a rhythm in the offensive zone amid pressure.
“We can’t be a one-and-done team,” Tocchet said. “When you’re one-anddone, that’s why you give 40 shots up. I call it sticky. You gotta be sticky in the corner. You gotta be sticky in your defensive end and if we make a mistake, don’t compound it by chasing mistakes.”
Not everyone, however, was on the ice Wednesday to go through these reps.
Winger Brendan Perlini, center Nick Cousins and defenseman Kevin Connauton were absent from practice with Perlini going on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s game. Cousins and Connauton were also banged up that game and are day-to-day with lower-body injuries.
Forward Jordan Martinook did practice after he sat out Tuesday with a lowerbody injury, and it’s possible he will play Thursday,