Record: 27-16-5. 59 pts Conference Rank: 5th Division Rank: 2nd Top Scorer: Matthew Lombardi (8 goals, 21 assists, 29 points) Top Goalie: Ilya Bryzgalov (24 wins, 2.23 GAA) Midseason Grade: A-
The Coyotes are another one of this season’s surprise successes. While everyone in the organization has been focused on who the new owner is going to be and where the team will be playing in the future, the team has somehow managed to focus on hockey and put together one of its better seasons in recent memory. The Coyotes have the 5th ranked defense in the West, and have put themselves in fine position to make a good playoff run.
A big reason the Coyotes have been so successful is the stellar play of Ilya Bryzgalov. The Russian netminder earned himself a spot on the Olympic roster with his first half performance, and is currently second in the league with 5 shutouts already. Helping him put up such good numbers is the fact that the Coyotes play very well at both ends of the ice. Six of the team’s regular forwards currently have positive +/- ratings, while three of the team’s top scorers are defensemen.
It’s been a rough couple of years in Phoenix, but regardless of what the future holds for the Coyotes, 2009-10 should go down as a successful season.