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Discuss: Hanzal salvages OT win for Coyotes

yoteswingetty

James

To paraphrase Herb Brooks, if the Phoenix Coyotes lost tonight’s game, they would have taken it to their graves. OK, so losing Game 1 in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks isn’t anywhere near as gnawing as the thought of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team losing to Finland after beating the Russians, but the ‘Yotes would have regretted it nonetheless. Instead, Phoenix takes a nice 1-0 series win in a 4-3 overtime victory.

Here are a few thoughts to get your debates started.


  • Jonathan Toews scored a goal and an assist in a whopping 24:29 of ice time. Boy, Joel Quenneville really needs to take off the training wheels and let the kid play, right?
  • Mike Smith made 43 saves tonight. Will this series be a coming out party for a goalie who wouldn’t look out of place among the Vezina Trophy finalists?
  • Speaking of players getting some needed attention, Martin Hanzal’s one of hockey’s best kept secrets as a shutdown center. Could his tip-in overtime winner grab him some solid limelight?
  • Phoenix won despite the Blackhawks’ big names showing up (for the most part). Can Chicago get by on star power alone or will they require depth? If the answer is “Choice B,” then who might step up?
  • Liam McHugh reveals that this is Phoenix’s first OT playoff win since April 1999. Let me ask: how different was your life back then?