Coyotes Blueline In Class By Itself

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Good article by Chad Lynch for the Coyotes website. As long as Jovo stays healthy, the defensive corps will be formidable. Everybody talks about how great Anaheim's blueline is, and it should be very good since they have two of the top five defensemen in the entire league with Neidermeyer and Pronger, but a couple of their defensemen couldn't even crack the Coyotes squad. The team has assembled what should be their best defensive group in franchise history since the move to Phoenix, it should be fantastic to watch.

http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com/news/story_details.php?ID=5248

 

[howlincoyote2k1]

You make a good point about Anaheim. While they do have Pronger and Niedermayer--nothing needs to be said about that due--along with now-sophomore Francois Beauchemin, who's on the bottom three? Heck, I don't even know.

I think what we have right now is a good, solid defensive core, from top to bottom. While we don't have any real stand-out studs (except for maybe Jovo), we have six players who can quietly and efficiently play their role well. I'd gladly take a sound defensive system without any glaring holes over a few studs and a few chumps.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

You make a good point about Anaheim. While they do have Pronger and Niedermayer--nothing needs to be said about that due--along with now-sophomore Francois Beauchemin, who's on the bottom three? Heck, I don't even know.

I think what we have right now is a good, solid defensive core, from top to bottom. While we don't have any real stand-out studs (except for maybe Jovo), we have six players who can quietly and efficiently play their role well. I'd gladly take a sound defensive system without any glaring holes over a few studs and a few chumps.

After those three there's a huge drop in talent. Their bottom three are Sean O'Donnell, Joe DiPenta, and Ian Moran, none of which are all that good in my opinion. I'm not convinced that any of those guys are clearly better than Denis Seidenberg, whose definately our sixth guy. Sean O'Donnell used to be a very good defenseman, but he's just so slow and it really crippled his effectiveness in the new, faster NHL last season. Anaheim's defense is still certainly very good due to those top two guys, but not nearly the vaunted juggernaut some try to make it seem.