Just when it looked like the Arizona Coyotes would be back on a winning track by playing a consistent 60 minute game against the Calgary Flames, they went into the Shark Tank, and drowned.
Losing to Pacific Division rivals San Jose Sharks 4-1 was not a method to show they were back playing with some consistency. The loss to the Sharks, who possess a poor home ice record of 11-12-3 compared to their impressive road record of 18-8-2, was a lost opportunity to put it mildly. The poor showing may come back to haunt them.
This Wild Card Race Is Truly Wild
Right now, the wild card race seems to be what the Coyotes need to zero in on to have any chance of post-season play. They are tied with the Vancouver Canucks and the Minnesota Wild, all with 56 points in 55 games.
The two teams residing in the wild card slot right now are the Colorado Avalanche with 62 points and the Nashville Predators with 61 points.
The hopeful factor could be games in hand. The Coyotes, Canucks, and Wild all have one game in hand on Nashville, and three games in hand on Colorado. That means the significance of each and every game from this point going forward, increases every time a game is played.
With 27 games remaining in the Coyotes' season, it's become make or break time to perform. The inconsistency has hurt their chances every time they play a decent game, and then follow it up with one where the fans wonder what that pungent odor is coming from the ice.
The Plot Thickens
In order to solidify their standing in the standings, the Coyotes have another sweet opportunity to win on their home ice. It won't be easy (especially lately) with the Montreal Canadians, Dallas Stars, and St. Louis Blues (who have owned the Coyotes lately) as their next opponents due to visit Gila River Arena in beautiful Glendale, Arizona.
If they fail in that endeavor, guess what faces them next? A five game east coast road trip -- that's what. Facing some fairly successful teams like the Washington Capitals (84 points), Tampa Bay Lightning (64 points), Florida Panthers (70 points), Philadelphia Flyers (58 points), and Pittsburgh Penguins (63 points) could most certainly be the turning point of the Yotes season.
The Yotes are a decent road team with a 11-13-2 record thus far this season. They will more than likely be required to win three or four of the five games to stay competitive. That total seems insurmountable, but if the Coyotes can win two of three on the upcoming home stand, they will surely ease their stress level.
The Coyotes were 1-0-1 against the Capitals last season, and have played them competitively. They will need to continue on that path, if possible. When you look back at last season's games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Arizona hockey club lost both games. Arizona did a bit better versus the Florida Panthers, splitting the two games. But, this year's Panthers team is much improved with their fifth place standing the NHL standings. Moving on to Philadelphia, the Coyotes really need to win this game. They were 1-0-1 last year, and this is an absolute must win. The last game on the road trip is against the Pittsburgh Penguins, whom the Coyotes faced in their first game this season at home. The Arizona Coyotes came out on top in that game by a 2-1 margin. The Penguins are just barely in a wild card spot this year and are very vulnerable.
Evaluating The Reality
The Coyotes need to gain as many points as possible, but what is realistic? Let's go with a 1-2 home stand record and 3-2 road trip record.
That amounts to a poor seven points, which will not keep them in contention for a wild card spot. Unfortunately, the schedule makers have really dealt the Arizona Coyotes a rotten hand, including ending the season with a four game road trip against the likes of St. Louis, Chicago (back to back), Nashville, and finally San Jose.
Get A Load Of This
What makes the difficulty of Arizona's task crystal clear is who the Coyotes face the remainder of the the season.
| #1 Ranked Washington | Two Games Remaining - Capitals |
| #2 Ranked Dallas | Three Games Remaining - Stars |
| #4 Ranked St. Louis | Two Games Remaining - Blues |
| #5 Ranked Florida | Two Games Remaining - Florida |
| #10 Ranked Tampa Bay | Two Games Remaining - Lightning |
| #12 Ranked San Jose | Three Games Remaining - Sharks |
That means that 14 games of their remaining 27 are against some extremely talented teams, which then forces one to conclude that time is running out for the Arizona Coyotes.
Time is a funny thing. Once it's gone, there's no retrieving it.