January 20, 2009, the Phoenix Coyotes managed to do something they hadn't done in almost 3 years: The managed to secure a victory over the Detroit Red Wings, the defending Stanley Cup Champions. As a matter of fact, with a final score of 6-3, it wasn't even a close contest.
Wait a minute, the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Red Wings?! Aren't they that abysmal team in a place where no one likes hockey?! Aren't they the guys who have that coach who has delusions of grandeur because he was arguably the best hockey player ever? Aren't they the team that couldn't build through the draft so they signed either rental players or the castoffs from other teams?
To paraphrase the late Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, "It Ain't Like That Anymore..."
So why was this victory imperative for the Phoenix Coyotes?
Respect. The Coyotes haven't gotten much of it at all lately. Going into the season, the fans in Phoenix knew between their combination of feisty rookies, blooming sophomores, and a mix of veterans who still have plenty of NHL life left in them and knew they had a team to be excited about. But everyone outside of Phoenix was convinced that Dallas was going to reign supreme, and with the competitive San Jose Sharks and aggressive Anaheim Ducks in their division, Phoenix was assured a spot no higher than fourth or 12th in the Conference with some analysts feeling that even the Los Angeles Kings stood a better shot of getting fourth then they did.
It doesn't end there. Many of the people in Phoenix don't even give this team the respect they deserve. Their future in Phoenix depends on the team finding investors who might be interested in hockey, let alone helping keep the team in Phoenix. The local paper does what it can to promote the team, but many of Phoenix's news outlets are more dedicated to the efforts of the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and Suns (you know, the teams that have had winning records in recent history) than they are the Coyotes. I've heard some "hockey purists" in East Valley say they can get better value watching San Jose's "AA" minor league team then they can going to see the Coyotes. Heck, even last night, the Coyotes played in front of an army of Red Wings fans... in their own building!
Yet as the obstacles have piled up, as the patience of the team, their coach, and their die-hard fans have been tested, the team has managed to hold their own and persevere. A team many figured would be "also-rans" as far as playoff contention would go are actually second in their division and fifthin the Conference. Could Dallas be better then them? Not with the their goaltending woes. Could Anaheim be better? Not when they can't get balanced play from their players (save Perry and Getzlaf.)
Wayne's commitment to the players and their commitment to his program has given them all the tools and confidence to be a competitive team in the NHL. With victories this season over the Ducks, the Sharks, the Calgary Flames, and now the Red Wings, the Coyotes are not only starting to deserve the respect of hockey fans everywhere, they're starting to command it.
On the other side of the coin, why did the Red Wings need to lose?
This is the team that when I was a kid, I rooted for the greatest captain of all time in Steve Yzerman as well as rooted for the greatest fighter of all time in Bob Probert. Through the 90's, the team moved into a puck-possession style team but could still display glimpses of toughness that made them fun to watch. Into the first decade of the 21st Century, they've become a finesse team that doesn't use toughness, but rather skill to beat their opponents into submission.
Yet with the season, it's not so much that they've suffered from a "Stanley Cup Hangover" as they've just become complacent with winning. They've gotten used to it to the point where they don't try as hard as they used to. And you bet that's a problem. No team with Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa, Hendrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, and Chris Osgood as starters should be 2nd in their conference, let alone the league. Their reputation has preceded them and it's gotten the better of them. They're going to need to play hard game in, game out to maintain the reputation they're known for.
Going into the second half of the season, they're going to take the NHL All-Star Break to rest, rejuvenate, and pounce on all the other contenders in the league and show them what's up. Once everyone heals and is firing on all cylinders come playoff time, the Winged Wheel will be in full force, kicking butt and taking names...
... and when they look back at on it all, they can thank the kids in Phoenix for giving them the kick in the pants that they badly needed.
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