Coyotes playoff veterans, young core building toward Edmonton
For a team that hasn’t seen playoff ice for almost a decade, the Coyotes have a handful of players who have spent some time in the post season, and have even hoisted the cup above their heads.
Thirteen players on the current roster have played in the playoffs prior to their time with the Coyotes, Oliver EkmanLarsson being the only player to have played in the postseason with the Coyotes in 2012. In addition, six members have won the Stanley Cup.
“We’ve got some guys who’ve won some hardware here and they know the routine and what it takes,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “They’re talking to the young players on what to expect. It’s a whole different pace this season in the playoffs. As a young guy, you have to realize that there is another level of commitment. When it comes to playoffs, there’s not a lot of room and you’ve got to fight for your space.”
One of the most playoff decorated members defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who won three Stanley Cups with Chicago from 2010 to 2015, has not only helped his teammates get to a faster pace in the short window before the playoffs, but is working on getting his own game up to speed. Hjalmarsson said he’s focused more on what is happening now.
“Right now it’s just a matter of finding your skating and handling the puck,” Hjalmarsson said. “We’re getting more into the five-on-five aspect now and I feel like when we get on that plane to Edmonton that’s when you start to narrow things down and focus on Nashville.”
Hjalmarsson is looking to keep a level head, focused on getting back to where he was before the pause during these training camps. It’s not just Hjalmarsson that is focused on their own game right now before sharing playoff wisdom, as even the younger members have picked up on the focused mindset of the veterans.
“It’s a different scenario and we’re all kind of worried about what is on our own plate,” forward Lawson Crouse said. “We’re getting to that point where we’re getting into a really solid groove. I think we’re all looking forward to that moment to where we can talk to some of those guys who’ve been to the cup final, but as of right now we’re taking it one day at a time.”
In the same breath, Hjalmarsson knows from experience what kind of team he’ll be facing in the playoffs in Nashville. Hjalmarsson went 2-1 against the Predators in the playoffs during his time with the Blackhawks and is expecting a similar style of active defense when the Coyotes face the Predators in two weeks.
“They always have one the the defensemen coming up and attacking,” Hjalmarsson said. “That’s always a dangerous aspect when you have the defensemen following up. They’re a great offensive team, but at the same time, they have a good defensive structure too. They have a really good team and we have to prepare as good as we can to challenge them.”
After a week of practice in the book, Tocchet said that he has seen the veterans start to instill a mentality of fighting for their spot on the ice. Not impressed by the team’s first scrimmage last Thursday, he said that he has seen improvement in the team’s play in game like situations and has had veterans ask for more challenging drills.
“I didn’t like out first scrimmage at all and I talked to a couple of your veteran players and they took care of it,” Tocchet said. “The next practice we had was really sharp. The other day a couple of veteran guys came up and ask for more D-zone coverage drills. Usually players want flow drills and DZone coverage drills are monotonous and hard. That want to own their own stuff too and they’re doing a nice job of that.”
As Tocchet has preached for his team to adjust quickly to the turnaround, the team seems to be moving at a steady pace with Edmonton closing in. Coyotes will play their first game since March against Vegas in exhibition play July 30 and will have to make the quick transition to the playin series against Nashville three days later.