Coyotes take Game 3 from Chicago, win 3-2 OT

The scoring in this game was the classic score and response. Chicago would score and Phoenix would answer; however, this is not the system you want when the game goes to OT. Or is it? Mikkel Boedker slid the puck past Corey Crawford 13:15 into the OT period to give the Coyotes a win in the United Center. Unfortunate for both teams was the Raffi Torres hit on Marian Hossa. Hossa had just passed the puck when Torres delivered a brutal hit, but the hit did not get him a trip to the box. In fact, there was a referee not that far from the spot of impact and he skated past the injured Hossa who was sprawled across the ice. What is unfortunate is that Hossa, a key player for the Blackhawks, is injured and also that Torres will probably receive a suspension from the stingy league, even though the hit wasn't initially penalized. The replay does show that Torres becomes airborne, but only once he makes contact with Hossa.

Blackhawks top the Coyotes to even series, win 4-3 OT

This game was almost exactly like the game two nights before. Chicago out shot the Coyotes, yet the Coyotes held the lead for most of the game. That is until a Patrick Sharp shot snuck past goalie Mike Smith to tie the game with only 6 seconds remaining. This forced OT, but the outcome was different. 10:36 into the OT period, the Coyotes committed a crucial turnover right in front of their own net, leading to a quick, easy goal by Bryan Bickell, sending the series to Chicago, tied.

Coyotes take Game 1 from Chicago in OT, win 3-2

This guy will be the key to the Coyotes success in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I don't know about you, but I feel that this year's team is different than the Bryzgalov-led teams in the past two seasons. Don't get me wrong, Bryzgalov was a great goal-tender, but he lacked a certain clutch factor that we've seen from Mike Smith in the final regular season games. Even though Phoenix is a 3rd seed and a division champ, they only have 97 points and are matched up against a star-studded Chicago Blackhawks team. Game 1 started out with an early goal by the Blackhawk's captain, Jonathan Toews. The air was sucked out of the building for two reasons: Chicago's dominant offense produced a goal against the defense-minded Coyotes, and Phoenix is not a true Hockey town, so they don't know how hockey truly works. Hockey is won by quality shots, quality goal tending, hits, and blocked shots. That's where the Coyotes won the game. Phoenix scored twice in the second period and out hit Chicago 48-22. However, Chicago would out shoot Phoenix 45-34, which led to a Brent Seabrook tying goal with only 15 seconds left in regulation. The game would go to sudden-death overtime, where the more offensively gifted team usually wins. However, this is also where the team who wants it more will win. Martin Hanzal scored the game winner 9:29 into the OT period, giving the Coyotes Game 1 of the series.

The Coyotes stun the Canucks, 5-4

The Coyotes have cooled a bit since the last time they played Vancouver, but that only makes these games more important. Going into the match up on Wednesday, not many people would've anticipated that this game would have a total of nine goals scored. Both Luongo and Smith have played well, but Vancouver would score two goals in the first ten minutes and Phoenix would answer with two goals in the next ten minutes. Phoenix would then keep on pushing the pace of the game and eventually score the game winner off of an Antoine Vermette power play goal in the third period. This is a good sign for the Coyotes, since they are on a crucial road trip with Vancouver being their toughest test.

Coyotes snap their losing streak, beat San Jose 3-0

Both teams haven't played too well recently, but the Coyotes got an important win as they beat the traditional favorites in the Pacific division, the San Jose Sharks. After a hot February, the Coyotes turned ice cold as they lost five games in a row. On Saturday night, they got an important win by shutting out a team that has always beaten them handily. Mike Smith had 42 saves for his 5th shutout on the season. With this win, the Coyotes pull to 78 points, three more than the Sharks.

Coyotes end February with an 12 game point streak, beat the Canucks, 2-1 SO

The Coyotes have a knack for making February runs. This year is no different. The Phoenix Coyotes avenged their lone loss (in OT) against the Vancouver Canucks by returning the favor on Tuesday night. The Canucks would show they were one of the NHL's best by jumping out to an early lead in the first period. However, the Coyotes would show they were one of the NHL's hottest by tying the game late. The game would then go to OT and then to a SO, where the Coyotes would win off of a Mikkel Boedker goal past Cory Schneider. This caps off one of the greatest months of hockey for a team as Phoenix earned 23 of the 24 possible points in February.

The Coyotes come back to beat Calgary, 4-3 SO

The Coyotes continued with their winning ways as they haven't lost in their past ten games. Going into Calgary, they had to play another team also battling for a playoff spot. Watching the game, it seemed like only one of the teams was actually playing for something as Calgary jumped to an early two goal lead in the first period. After battling back and scoring two goals in the third period, the Coyotes forced a shootout. Ray Whitney would then score the lone goal in the SO and Phoenix left with a win.

Phoenix comes back to beat the Kings, 5-4 SO

The Coyotes have been hot recently and it was only a matter of time till they would cool down, right? Wrong. Even though it seemed as if their unbeaten streak would come to an end as the visiting LA Kings shot out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first period, Phoenix answered with three goals of their own in the second period. With 2:27 left in the hockey game, Radim Vrbata would score his 30th goal of the season and give Phoenix a chance to win in OT. Neither team would score in the OT period, leading to a shootout. Phoenix would win the SO 2-1, giving them two points instead of one and a win over the rival Kings.

Coyotes shut-out the Blackhawks, 3-0

The Phoenix Coyotes are fighting for their third consecutive playoff berth, but right now, they're finding themselves on the wrong side of 8. However, they're on 5-game winning streak and beating a pretty good Chicago team always helps your chances. Especially when you shut them out at their home. That's what the 'Yotes did as Mike Smith stopped all 38 shots on the night, giving the Coyotes another convincing win over a Stanley Cup contender.

Remembering 2011

Let us not forget 2011... A year that can be described by thousands of words: scandalous, shocking, lockout, wild, epic... I would describe this year with one word: unpredictable. 2011 in sports always left us questioning and guessing about the next thing that was going to happen; what was going to happen next? There are a few good and bad things this year has for us to learn from:

NFL: The Green Bay Packers returned to prominence and Aaron Rodgers proved Lambeau doesn't need Brett Favre to become Titletown once again. During the offseason, the players and owners couldn't come to an agreement on a new deal, but the Lockout ended just in time for a full NFL season. Us NFL fans were treated with 4th quarter comebacks and countless stories from the media because of an interesting 2nd year QB with a funky wind-up: Tebow. Like it or not, this kid is something special and he's left his footprint on the great game of football. 2011 was also the year of the passer; Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees, need I say more? It'll be exciting to see what happens in the playoffs. One Word: Unpredictable
MLB: A crazy year. D-backs make the playoffs, Boston and Atlanta miss out while St. Louis sneaks in. St. Louis upsets the dream team of Philadelphia, but Texas forces them to one out from a World Series. America's past time still has some punch, though and St. Louis used a couple of miracles to win game 6 and then win game 7. Unpredictable
NBA: The Mavericks won their first NBA title by taking down giants: Kobe and the Lakers, and LeBron and the Heat. For an underachieving franchise to win their first title by taking out heavily favored opponents in a league that has lacked suspense was great for the sport, however the lockout was not good for the sport. Why argue over money when a sport can be revived? Unpredictable
NHL: A sport with few fans needs a lot to make news, but the 2011 season for hockey had many treasures and lessons to learn from. Vancouver leapt out to a Stanley Cup lead, but in Boston, Aaron Rome nailed Nate Horton for a Stanley Cup ban. The Bruins awoke afterwards and took the series from a stunned Vancouver team. The shock led to arguably the saddest moment in Vancouver history: the riots. Unpredictable
NCAAF: A year of scandal. Penn State saw an awful end of an era as Joe Paterno himself couldn't escape the scandals in "Happy Valley". However, college football always holds surprises. The many upsets and RG3 winning the Heisman instead of Andrew Luck are just a few stories from a rich year. Unpredictable
NCAAB: A year full of talent from Kemba Walker to Derrick Williams. VCU and Butler making their presence felt in the basketball world as they both made the Final Four. Many talented college freshman stayed in college rather than going to the NBA to create another unpredictable year.
What does 2012 hold in store for all of us? Will more QBs make their impact in the NFL? Will Bryce Harper emerge as baseball's top star? Will Miami falter in the playoffs once again? Who will win the Stanley Cup in an air-tight playoff race? LSU or Bama? What will happen in March? How will the Summer Olympics play out?  Which country will win the Euro Cup? We won't know until we witness it. Welcome 2012.

A Preview of things to come? NY Rangers beat the Flyers, 4-2

The Winter Classic takes place on Jan. 2 at Citizens Bank Ballpark; a game that will feature the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. Both teams have been playing good hockey and tonight they met up in the Garden. New York scored 3 goals first and cruised to a 4-2 win, due to a forgettable performance by Ilya Bryzgalov for the Flyers and a solid night for Henrik Lundqvist. Hopefully this isn't just a preview for these to rivals since their "Classic" will be on primetime TV and is less than two weeks away. Can hockey shine again in primetime television?

Coyotes lose to the Rangers in devastating fashion

It's not often that you see a "buzzer beater" goal, so I'm going to cover this for all it's worth. It sucks. The Coyotes let a 2-1 lead slip through their fingers on home ice as a Brad Richards puck slipped passed goaltender, Mike Smith, with .01 to go on the clock. The Coyotes showed they were a solid team, but failed to get the win as they lost 3-2. The team is in a small slump that they can't afford since they are two points away from being the ninth seed to the third seed in the Western conference.

Coyotes top the Blackhawks, 4-1

The Yotes scored 4 goals in an unusually strong performance by their offense as they bogged up the best team in the West. Ray Whitney, Shane Doan, Radim Vrbata, and Daymond Langkow all chipped in against Corey Crawford while Mike Smith fell half a minute short of a shutout against one of the hottest offenses in the NHL as Patrick Sharp scored on a PP. Chicago will prove if they just had an off-game as the two teams will meet again on December 5th.

Coyotes get first win of the season, beat Nashville 5-2.

The Coyotes scored 4 goals against Pekka Rinne as Phoenix notched their first win of the season against the Nashville Predators. The Yotes went into the locker room with a 3-0 lead in the first intermission. Jason LaBarbera outperformed Rinne for the remaining periods and the Coyotes Captain Shane Doan capped off the victory with an empty net goal. The Coyotes will return to Phoenix to take on the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday for their first home game.

Reimer shuts out Canadiens for Leaf's opening win

Tonight the Toronto Maple Leafs began their quest to reach the elusive playoffs for the 2011-2012 postseason. They had a good start to the season by shutting down their rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, 2-0. Goalie James Reimer was key for the Leafs as he stopped all 32 Canadien shots. Personally, I was unaware the NHL season started today, but I think the Stanley Cup is fair game for a number of teams so it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds and hopefully Toronto will make the playoffs.

Winnipeg Jets show off their new jerseys

The Wiinipeg Jets debuted their new hockey uniforms today. The organization chose a traditional uniform design like the old Winnipeg Jets jersey. The polar blue and silver colors give the jersey a cold look, appropriate for a place like Winnipeg. The jerseys are much nicer than the teams old Atlanta Thrashers design.