Thomas Godoj Thread » yle to adjust accordingly. The coming season wont

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Phoenix Coyotes gave Dave Tippett his 450th career victory with just the kind of game the coach loves: gritty defensive play, strong goaltending and a bit of resiliency. Martin Hanzal had a goal and an assist, Mike Smith stopped 32 shots and the Coyotes held off the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Saturday night, handing Tippett another milestone win. "If youre going to win in this league, you need that (gritty play) every night," said Tippett, who also notched his 100th home victory in Phoenix. "It was nice to see us come through with a couple wins like that." Coming off a shutout victory in their last game, the Coyotes got off to a strong start with a pair of goals from their fourth line. Jeff Halpern had one and Jordan Szwarz had the other before playing the third period with stiches in his chin after being cut with a skate late in the second. Hanzal gave the Coyotes a two-goal cushion, but they had to hold on against New Jerseys big push to earn their first winning streak since beating Colorado and the New York Islanders on Dec. 10-12. "One of our key points coming in was getting off to a fast start and I felt like we did a good job doing that," Szwarz said. "We put a lot of pucks behind their defence and we were able to block some shots early to get off to a good start, then finish it off." New Jersey got off to a sluggish start at the end of a four-game road trip before rallying to make it close. Ryane Clowe had a goal and an assist and Jaromir Jagr scored his 696th career goal with 2:14 left in regulation. Jagr had another good chance with just over a minute left, but was stopped by Smith to end the Devils point streak at six games. "We got off to a slow start and that was disappointing, inexcusable really for not having played yesterday," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. "We cant spot anyone two goals. Thats the bottom line." Phoenix got back to its defensive roots in its last game Thursday night, beating Vancouver 1-0 behind Smiths first shutout of the season and the return of defenceman Zbynek Michalek after he missed 13 games with a hip injury. Before that, the Coyotes had been erratic in their own end and lost 12 of their previous 16 games. New Jersey has had the opposite problem. The Devils have been solid behind the blue line lately, allowing six goals over the past five games. The problem has been scoring: New Jersey has scored 117 goals, 25th in the league. The Coyotes were sharp in the first period. Kyle Chipchura tracked down the puck behind the goal and sent a pass out front to Szwarz, who one-timed it past Martin Brodeurs stick side for Phoenixs first even-strength goal in more than 184 minutes. Halpern made it 2-0 by taking a feed from Moss and beating Brodeur to the glove side from the left circle for his second of the season. Phoenix dominated most of the opening period, but New Jersey got on the board when Clowe punched in a power-play rebound for his second of the season at 18:44. Hanzal put the Coyotes up 3-1 late in the second on a power play, tipping a shot by Keith Yandle then muscling it past Brodeur for his 14th of the season. Jagr cut the lead to one after New Jersey pulled Brodeur for an extra attacker, but Smith made some tough saves in the final minute. "If we would have had at least two lines going, it would have been a different story, but we only had one line doing anything," Jagr said. NOTES: The Coyotes have scored a power-play goal in seven straight games. ... New Jersey had killed off 16 of 17 penalties before Hanzals goal with the man advantage. ... The Coyotes and Devils had not played since Oct. 27, 2011, a 5-3 win by the Coyotes in Glendale. ... The Devils have lost four straight in Arizona, dating to 2003. 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The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. Cheap Air Jordan For Sale .Y. - Major League Soccers independent review panel has taken back the fine and one-game suspension it placed on Toronto FC forward Luke Moore earlier this week.TORONTO – Two times in the past three seasons, the hockey team from Toronto has collapsed under city-rattling circumstances, including a rapid descent from near-certain playoff entry last season. In between was a valiant stab at the first Leaf post-season series win in years from a feisty, competitive group – albeit, one that probably benefited from the 48-game schedule. Looking to recapture some of that magic, Leafs management made character, attitude, leadership and qualities of mental fortitude high priorities in their bid at roster reconstruction on July 1st. Led by president Brendan Shanahan and incumbent general manager Dave Nonis, the club reacquired two players from that 2013 squad – Leo Komarov and Matt Frattin – also adding 37-year-old Stephane Robidas to a defence that recently replaced the steady Carl Gunnarsson with edgy-type Roman Polak. “Part of it is always about character,” said Nonis, shortly after 5pm et, when the Leafs first crack at free agency ended. “I dont think that we have a character issue with our team or our players, but I think adding people like Leo and Robidas to [the roster] only strengthens it. The compete level that we had two years ago, I think was at or near the top of the league. We got more out of our players – the coaches did – the players, themselves, did in terms of pushing each other, than we did last year. No question about it.” Randy Carlyle couldnt summon much in the way of explanation as to why things unraveled for the Leafs so epically months earlier, but did notice something amiss with the attitude of his group. “We lacked the compete,” he said, while at the draft in Philadelphia this past weekend. “I look at compete as part of the character flaw.” It was clear management sensed something similar, though character and leadership would hardly encompass the Leafs woeful defence and penalty-killing, targeting players in free agency or on the trade market who were known for their high compete level. In addition to Komarov and Robidas, the club also made pitches to keep gritty, but soon-to-be overpaid, Dave Bolland, 38-year-old former Team Canada defender Dan Boyle and long-time Montreal heart-and-soul type, Josh Gorges. Robidas, who was signed for three years at $9 million, offers the Leafs a much-needed veteran upgrade in their top-four, a long-time Dallas Star whos physical, blocks shots and has the ability to play in every situation. A right-handed defender, in short supply for the club a year ago, and veteran of 885 regular season games, Robidas brings a savvy that was lacking on a mismatched back-end last season. “It was a factor,” Nonis said of character when it came to Robidas, who suffered two separate, broken right-leg injuries last season, but will be ready for training camp. “The people that I know that know him, that Brendan knows, speak very highly of the way he handles himself, on and off the ice. I dont think were looking at a guy thats going to come in here and be terribly vocal or anything like that, but in terms of playing the game the right way, taking care of yourself and leading by example, that coupled with being a right-shot and his playing ability, he was the guy we targeted right away.” Komarov bolted for the KHL after that 2013 campaign, but was eager to return to the NHLL-lifestyle this fall.dddddddddddd He garnered considerably more than the club appeared willing to pay just one year earlier, four years at $2.95 million per season, and quite a bit for a player who was limited offensively as a Leaf. It was clear, however, that Nonis and company valued the Finnish wingers scrappy play and were also hopeful of more upside with more opportunity next season. “Hes a very competitive guy,” said Nonis of Komarov, who had nine points in 42 games with the Leafs. “Hes going to give you whatever he has … He has compete. He gets under peoples skin by the way he plays, not because hes a chirper or anything like that, but he finishes every single check and, sometimes, I think people dont really enjoy the way he does that. But for us, he brought that element; he brought some character to our group. He was very well-liked by his teammates. All the things that you look for in a player, he ticks a lot of boxes.” Polak, too, was added from St. Louis earlier with an eye toward the “edge” he would bring to the Toronto defence, a quality infinitely enduring to the head coach. But for the all the focus on injecting the Leafs dressing room with more bite, increased leadership and character, its Carlyle and the still-yet-to-be-named coaching staff that bear the most watching next season. For whatever the Leafs lacked in determination and persistence last year – and there was a noticeable difference – it was their inability to defend with any degree of success that instigated their downfall last season. No team, as widely known by this point, allowed more shots than Toronto and only three teams allowed more power-play goals. It was a house of cards that was bound to collapse and did when Jonathan Bernier went down with injury in mid-March. And for all his drum-beating about the troubles, and he was quick to point flaws as early as October, Carlyle and his since-deposed trio of assistants could not find the right answers, instill a defensive mindset onto a sometimes immature roster, employ top line-ups and align the talent in place with a suitable style of play. All that will have to change and its up to Carlyle to adjust accordingly. The coming season wont be about leadership concerns or questions of character, but whether a head coach can adapt to a younger and faster league. Robidas, Polak and Komarov should help to address some of the defensive deficiencies of last year – also fitting Carlyles harder brand of hockey – particularly a penalty kill that fell right back to the bottom of the league last season. Roster holes still to be filled include a centre capable of playing in a third or fourth-line capacity – Peter Holland is in line for regular opportunity, but a security blanket for Carlyle is likely preferred – perhaps another defenceman, with Cody Franson likely on the way out, some scoring depth and a backup goaltender, though, Nonis continues to insist that James Reimer could be back next year, despite clear indications of his desire to move elsewhere. Some of those changes could come internally with a round of Marlies keen to take the next step into the NHL. The Leafs additionally have about $15 million in cap space to work with a group of restricted free agents, Jake Gardiner most prominently among them, still to sign. ' ' '