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		NHL Western Conference commentary By Daniel Dullum March 20, 2010

	GLENDALE, Ariz. – There was quite a stir here in the Valley of the Sun this week when the Phoenix Coyotes announced that only standing room tickets were available for their much anticipated NHL West showdown with the Central Division leading Chicago Black Hawks. The sellout SRO crowd of 17,534 had more than its share of Chicago fans, adding to a unique atmosphere. Large numbers of Black Hawk jerseys and Chicago gear could be seen in both the upper and lower decks, and frankly, when the Black Hawks scored, their fans seemed louder. Many of them were already here to watch the Cubs and White Sox in Cactus League baseball, and were pleasantly surprised to find that hockey tickets were easier to come by than back in the Midwest. Phoenix’s 5-4 shootout victory over the high-powered Hawks was all good for a Coyotes franchise that last summer seemed either headed to Hamilton, Ontario, or to the pro hockey graveyard. The ownership situation is now in the gentlemanly negotiation stages, and folks are finding their way back to Jobing.com Arena. The players noticed, and responded to the supercharged aura with one of the most entertaining hockey games played here in recent memory. “Unlikely?” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett responded when asked about the ‘unlikely win. “We came into this game thinking we were going to win. It just took us a while to come around. “I thought it was a very entertaining hockey game.” Which it was, with Chicago forcing the tempo from the opening faceoff. When the Black Hawks took a 1-0 first period lead on Troy Brouwer’s 21st goal, it was beginning to look like Chicago’s night, especially when the Hawks killed off a rare four-minute double minor. Rising superstar Patrick Kane scored on the power play to make it 2-0 Chicago before the Coyotes responded with goals by Wojtek Wolski and newly-acquired Lee Stempniak. But Stempniak’s equalizer less than two minutes into the third period seemed to energize the Black Hawks, who responded with goals by Andrew Ladd and Patrick Sharp to take a seemingly insurmountable 4-2 lead. Then, as Tippett tells it, the Coyotes made a collective decision to bail out goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who faced 36 shots in regulation. “I think it was good for us to get one back for Bryzy, like he’s done for us so many times,” Stempniak said. “It was a great game; we just stuck with it and found a way to win.” At 6:53 in the third period, Stemniak’s 23rd goal of the season cut the Desert Dogs’ deficit to 4-3, and Adrian Aucoin’s tally at 14:53 eventually sent the game to overtime. In the extra session, Phoenix’s Matthew Lombardi was awarded a rare non-shootout penalty shot that caught the left pipe, nearly beating Hawks goalie Antti Niemi. The entertainment continued in the shootout, where Radim Vrbata beat Niemi with a well-timed backhander to win the game. Amidst a loud Coyotes locker room, he said, “It was the same as last game (against Florida); we fell behind but we went out and had a really good third period. “We never want to quit, and we came back and found two points.” Thus, the message has been sent – the rejuvenated Coyotes, who at 95 points reside in the No. 4 slot in the Western Conference standings, don’t expect to be opening round pushovers when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin in a couple weeks. “Coming home from a long road trip, this could have a trap game,” Tippett said. “Hopefully, we’ll keep pushing along and keep it going. The win over Chicago was No. 45 on the year, extending a franchise record for its NHL history – the actual franchise record is 52 wins by the 1975-76 WHA champion Winnipeg Jets. But this edition of the Coyotes is seeking more, and they’re fast becoming that notorious team that no one wants to face in a best-of-seven series. Speaking of the upcoming playoffs, either Chicago or San Jose is looking at the very real possibility of getting a well-rested and convalesced Detroit in the opening round. The Coyotes could still move up, but, in an odd way, are better off right where they are, with a likely first-round matchup with Colorado. (The three division winners are automatically seeded 1 through 3). The “White-Out,” a tradition of wearing white team gear that started in Winnipeg, is about to make a comeback in the desert. That would be most appropriate, since, at playoff time, the temperatures outside in Glendale will be almost as hot as the home team playing inside.