Whatever conclusions you may have drawn from all of the summer news and drama surrounding the Coyotes, there is still a team in Phoenix and tonight they visit Mellon Arena.
The Yotes have played only one game but walked away with a 6-3 win over the Kings on Saturday. With four good days to rest up the only obstacle they have to deal with tonight is a shift in the time zone.
Ilya Bryzgalov is, without dodging the subject, a very good goalie. He's one of those poor guys who will make a ton of saves but still lose a game 3-2 or 2-1 because his defense isn't pushing people out of the slot. I wouldn't say that's the point the Penguins should home in on tonight but it did work for the Kings. In his first game Bryz did let in some goals that likely could've been avoided if he either 1) directed the rebounds to the corner or 2) had some guys working on defense.
There is, potentially, a fun bout to consider tonight. You may recall Paul Bissonnette's recent signing with the Coyotes when he was claimed off waivers. You may want to keep an eye on the roster tonight to see if Eric Godard dresses. If so, Biz-Nasty and Godzilla may throw down at some point. Sure they were buddies last season but nothing gets in the way of business.
Top guys to consider on Phoenix - Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata. Doan scored two goals against the Pens last season in the 4-1 loss mentioned earlier today in the links. Vrbata leads the team right now in scoring with two goals, again, picked up in the lone regular season game against the Kings on Saturday.
Let's see the Pens take care of this one in regulation so they can shoot out of town early and rest up before taking on Philly at the Wachovia Center tomorrow night.