Coyotes showing room for improvement
Pace slow, rust evident during 1st scrimmage
Although the Coyotes have been out on the ice since Monday, the team engaged in intrasquad competition for the first time, giving players and coaches a glance at what the team may look like when they travel out to Edmonton in the coming weeks.
While head coach Rick Tocchet was excited to have the team scrimmage for the first time, he said that the pace was slower and some rust was evident.
“The plan was the first few days to get some skill work and pace. We’re going to have to do a lot more of this,” Tocchet said. “We’ve got plenty of time, but we don’t have plenty of time. It’s one of those things. There was a little bit of rust out there for sure.”
The roster divided up into two teams about halfway through practice and scrimmaged for a regular period of hockey. A low-scoring scrimmage, seeing the red squad take the victory 3-1, found the players holding a similar mindset to Tocchet of needing to get the rust off.
“There’s a little bit of rust being knocked off, but I think it’s just more about being used to bumping guys and seeing so many guys on the ice,” defenseman Jason Demers said. “We’ve been skating in small groups and now we have everybody back. Getting used to that comes pretty quick and it’s just about getting our timing.”
The rust needs to be knocked off quick as the team finishes up training camp and heads up to Edmonton for their playin series against Nashville in a little over two weeks. In addition, the team has an exhibition game against Vegas on July 30, closing the training gap even more.
“We’re going from 0 to 100 and we need to get to 100 quicker than normally,” Tocchet said. “When you’re in a scrimmage, or even a drill, you gotta bring it. I told some guys you can’t just show up (to the playoffs) and just expect to turn it on. It’s gotta be ingrained in you everyday. We can’t waste a practice, especially in this format.”
One aspect of the game that players are looking to take advantage of in an alternative environment is the ability to communicate with a clarity unlike a regular game. In practicing in an empty Gila River Arena and playing games in front of no fans, the Coyotes are encouraging their teammates to talk on the ice a little more than usual.
“I think you should hear every pass and every play called during the game,” Demers said. “I think that is going to help some guys a lot, because you may not be using your vision a lot when you’re coming back, so guys using their voice is going to be a huge thing for us. We also want to trust each other and trust the calls that are made.”
While the team’s first scrimmage wasn’t the most impressive in Tocchet’s eyes and is pushing his team to compete through every drill, he said he understands that it’s still early in camp. Tocchet is expecting the scrimmage to improve before the team heads off to Edmonton.
“You gotta remember it’s the fourth day and it’s the hump day,” Tocchet said. “It’s early and some of these guys have been off the ice for awhile, so there are some factors. However, saying that, all teams are dealt the same cards. We need to find that competitive balance. The next scrimmage should be a lot better and I’m expecting a lot better.”