This year has been quite the change for the Phoenix Coyotes. They are undeniable playoff contenders for the postseason, and fans are putting their hopes on a Stanley Cup run this season. In fact, the team has been incredibly hot lately. Their 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on March 21 have them a nine-game winning stream during the month of March, with wins over the Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks. Out of those games, two were shutouts and five were road games.
The success of their current season has led to multiple records for the Coyotes. The nine-game winning streak ties the franchise record. Also, their 4-3 shootout win over the Florida Panthers on March 18 marked a franchise record for the Coyotes. It was their 44th win of the season, eclipsing their franchise single-season win record of 43, which was set back in the 1984-85 season when they were the Winnipeg Jets. They have since furthered that record to 46 wins. The Florida win was even sweeter, as they came behind from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game and send it into overtime, thanks to goals by Martin Hanzal, Lee Stempniak and Radim Vrbata.
The three goals they scored against the Dallas Stars on March 21 set another record, and that is for the most points in a season. They have 97 points, breaking a record of 96, also set by the 1984-85 Winnipeg Jets. The Coyotes are currently first in the Pacific Division, ahead of the San Jose Sharks. In the Western Conference they sit second, behind the Chicago Blackhawks and ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. The feat is even more impressive considering the Coyotes finished third from the bottom in Western Conference during the 2008-09 season, and second from the bottom in their division. Their charge toward the playoffs has sparked the sale of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/phoenix-coyotes-tickets/">Phoenix Coyotes tickets</a>, and fans can find theirs at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub.com</a>.
To keep the momentum going through the end of the season and into next season, the Coyotes have been hard at work making changes to their roster. A slew of changes came just before the trade deadline in early March. The team made seven trades in the final hours leading up to the deadline, adding players like defenseman Derek Morris, defenseman Mathieu Schneider, forward Wojtek Wolski, forward Lee Stempniak and forward Petteri Nokelainen. They gave up players like Peter Mueller and Anders Eriksson.
That wasn't the end of the new adds for the Coyotes. They also recalled forward Viktor Tikhonov from the Kontinental Hockey League's Cherepovets. The Cherepovets had Tikhonov on loan from the Coyotes since Nov. 28. He played 61 games for the Coyotes as a rookie last season. The Coyotes also looked to the college ranks and added forward Josh Lunden from the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The 24-year-old was signed to an entry-level contract and will be a part of the San Antonio Rampage, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate.
This article was written by Julie Cudney and is sponsored by <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub.com</a>. StubHub sells tickets to sporting events, concerts and theater productions. Go to StubHub.com for <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/phoenix-coyotes-tickets/">Phoenix Coyotes tickets</a>.
