The Coyotes find stability in their final scrimmage before the playoffs,
In what has acted as a test these past two weeks assessed to players from the coaching staff, the Coyotes’ final scrimmage before heading off to Edmonton on Sunday saw the offense explode for 10 combined goals from a wide range of players.
The red team finished out the camp scrimmages with a perfect 3-0 record, dispatching the white team, 6-4. The scrimmage was highlighted by the performances of forwards Clayton Keller and Vinnie Hinostroza. Keller recorded a hat trick for the red team, while Hinostroza collected a goal and an assist in the first period of the scrimmage.
“For me it’s great to see their improvement,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “Vinnie started out slow this camp and in these last two scrimmages he has been better. To me it’s the improvement of guys day to day where you see the improving an inch everyday. That’s a positive for us that we have guys getting better and better every day.”
Finding a consistency in performance mentally and physically is something that Tocchet and his staff continues to press, specifically after Wednesday’s scrimmage. The consistent pressure of scrimmages, mirroring a game situation, has helped the Coyotes find needed stability in their play in Tocchett’s eyes.
“You gotta put people under pressure to make plays and that’s why we’re scrimmaging more and doing more plays with pressure,” Tocchet said. “Nine days from now there is going to be a ton of pressure on, so you might as well do the mental and physical reps now and get it in your head. Today was better, but we have to get even better tomorrow and then in the bubble we really got to buckle down.”
As pressure is applied, so does the sense of competition on the ice, which can have its consequences. Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson went down during Friday’s scrimmage and was able to get up on his own will, but did not return to the ice. According to Tocchet, EkmanLarsson is feeling OK and will be checked out tomorrow as well.
“O’s had a really good camp and it’s like any team where you can’t afford to have one of your better players or your best player go down,” Tocchet said. “That’s just the nature of the best. He was playing hard and on the forecheck, but I think he’ll be fine and will be back no problem.”
Nearing the end of training camp has allowed linemates to get reacquainted with each other on the ice and begin finding a flow. The two top line for the Coyotes, Taylor Hall, Christian Dvorak and Conor Garland and Phil Kessel, Nick Schmaltz and Carl Soderberg, have fallen into place nicely towards the close of the
Coyotes time at Gila River for the season.
Kessel had a breakaway goal off the crossbar and Soderberg tallied shorthanded for the white team. Dvorak said as long as himself and his linemates continue to work with the relationship that they have built, things will go well for them. “I don’t feel like we’re too far away from being ready for Edmonton,” Dvorak said. “Everyone is really chopping at the bit here and getting ready to go to Edmonton. We’re excited to get going and play in this exhibition game before playoffs start.”
The theme being able to adapt quickly continues once the team gets to Edmonton as they will three days to prepare for competition in the bubble before facing Vegas in an exhibition game on July 30 at 7 p.m. After that, the team will have to days to prepare for game one of its series against Nashville, starting Aug. 2.
Tocchet said he’s not worried about the team’s adjustment to traveling, but more the anxiety players might have as to living in a bubble.
“Players want to know what to expect in the bubble city and how it’s going to be,” Tocchet said. “We’re going to a place where it’s going to be fenced out three or four blocks and there’s only a few restaurants you can go, and I heard the NHL is doing a really nice job. It’s really once we get there I think the anxiety will be lessened because you’ll know to expect when we’re in that city.”