I don’t want to say Ray Whitney is old, but…
Boyes: Did he ever need that
Not many people have witnessed it this year, but the Phoenix Coyotes have started to play some gritty hockey. One would imagine that a team that has played in front of 72,711 fans though 7 games this year would have trouble getting up for a Saturday night tilt against the a wounded and inexperienced Blues squad. However, the home team came out with spark and a desire to put the puck in the net that seemed to wear on the Note.
The ‘Yotes scored first on a redirection by Radim Vrbata that was as ugly as it was effective. As the period wore on it became clear that Phoenix had a plan to pressure the Blues on the forecheck.
In a battle of Twitter-toughs, Cam Janssen squared off against Paul Bissonnette in a battle of jabs that is begging for a rematch. Or at least a Twitter-enabled smartphone in the penalty boxes so the war could continue in the virtual world. Come to think of it, adding some excitement to the game with a guy in the box may not be a bad idea as the Blues Power Play hasn’t been adding much and tonight the penalty kill was downright scary.
With 6 minutes left in the first, Andy McDonald slid a backhander inside the far post to tie it up.
Unfortunately, the game began to slide off the rails in the second period as the giant was awakened. Well, at 5’10 Ray Whitney ain’t no giant but he was certainly asleep this season until he netted a textbook fluke goal when Nick Drazenovic attempted to fire the puck past the net and he instead hit Whitney who tapped it in the empty netter. By the time the night was through, Whitney, who had yet to score this season would have a hat trick and 2 assists for a 5 point night.
On the upside, the Blues finally found a tally on the power play in the second on a somewhat unexplainable goal by David Backes that when a puck dribbled by Ilya Bryzgalov after a 6 man scrum in front of the net. Odd, yes, but after an 0-25 streak on the power play, we’ll take it.
Entering the third down 4-2, the Blues turned up the intensity (did they learn something in Columbus?) McDonald hit a post with 4 min left, and Brad Boyes finally it the back of the net with less than 2 minutes left to claw within 1 and the boys in Blue out shot the ‘Yotes 18-7 in the period (and 38-27 overall).
Alas it was not to be as Whitney netted his third on an empty net.
If the Blues learned not quit in Columbus, let’s hope they learned that the scouting report on them right now is to forecheck and put pressure on the young defensemen. And, if they learn anything by watching Phoenix play, it has to be that all the goals count the same — no matter how ugly or pretty they may be.
