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year in review
2011-2012 season in review (cont’d)
IRON MEN
Antoine Vermette and All-Star defenseman Keith Yandle own the team’s longest iron men streaks with 263 and 254 consecutive games played, respectively. Yandle is currently second
overall among d-men on the active consecutive games played list (Jay Bouwmeester – 588). Vermette and Yandle each own the sixth and seventh-longest active streaks in the league,
respectively. At 263 games, Vermette is now in sole possession of the third-longest streak in franchise history, while Yandle, with 254 consecutive games owns the fourth-longest
streak. Mikkel Boedker, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Lauri Korpikoski and Ray Whitney also appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Coyotes.
NOBODY BEATS THE WIZ(ARD)
Veteran forward Ray Whitney led the team in scoring with 24-53-77 in 2011-12. He recorded 70-plus points for only the fifth time in his illustrious career, and totaled 50-plus assists in
a season for only the third time in his 20-year career. After the All-Star break, Whitney recorded three point streaks of six or more games (season-high eight games: 2-10-12 from Jan.
21-Feb. 11 – second-longest point streak of his career; seven games: 2-8-10 from Mar. 12-24; six games 3-4-7 from Feb. 16-28. Whitney finished the season ranked sixth overall
among active all-time assist leaders in the league (638). Whitney registered the highest plus-minus rating of his career (plus-26), also a new franchise high. He went on to be named a
Second Team NHL All-Star.
A GRAND MILESTONE
Ray Whitney became only the 79th player in NHL history to record 1,000 career points. Whitney was the oldest player to accomplish the feat at 39 years, 328 days. He is only the sixth
player in NHL history to record 1,000 points without registering a 50 goal, 60 assist or 100-point season (Brian Propp, Dale Hunter, Pat Verbeek, Henri Richard, Frank Mahovlich).
1,000 GAMES
Derek Morris played in his 1,000th career game vs. St. Louis on March 25. He became the 278th all-time player in NHL history to reach the 1,000th game plateau, and the fifth player
in franchise history to do so. The former 13th overall selection in the 1996 Entry Draft by Calgary has recorded 87-309-396 and 927 penalty minutes over his 14-year career.
CZECH-MATE
Radim Vrbata had a career-best season in 2011-12 (35-27-62). He led the team in goals (35) and GWGs (12). The Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic native registered his first 30-goal
season in his 10-year career. Throughout the 2011-12 campaign, he paced the club with several point streaks including a career-high seven-game streak (4-5-9) from Jan. 24-Feb.
11. Vrbata’s 12 game-winning goals ranked tied for first in the NHL and tied the franchise mark set by Jeremy Roenick during the 1999-00 season. The Coyotes owned a 21-4-3
record when he netted a goal.
LIKE A ROLLING STONE
Rookie defenseman Michael Stone scored his first career NHL goal vs. San Jose on March 10, while also posting his first career multi-point game (1-1-2). Stone collected his first
career NHL point (assist) vs. Minnesota on March 8. Stone was recalled from Portland (AHL) on Feb. 18, 2012. He was drafted by the Coyotes in the third round, 69th overall in the
2008 Entry Draft.
TIPP OF THE SWORD
Since Dave Tippett’s arrival in the desert (2009-10 season), the Coyotes have gone 67-25-32 in one-goal games, while the club has posted a record of 100-12-15 when scoring first.
Tippett recorded his 400th head coaching victory at Edmonton on March 18 in 3-2 shootout win. He currently ranks second among all NHL head coaches in victories since the beginning
of the 2002-03 season, trailing only Detroit’s Mike Babcock (419). Tippett’s overall record of 135-78-33 (303 points) in 246 regular season games with Phoenix is the highest point’s
percentage (.616) of any head coach in franchise history. Tippett has never posted a losing season as an NHL Head Coach with Dallas or Phoenix and has qualified for the postseason in
eight out of nine seasons behind the bench.
TIPPETT AMONG NHL’S TOP BENCH BOSSES
Head Coach Dave Tippett currently ranks second among all NHL head coaches in victories since the beginning of the 2002-03 campaign, Tippett’s first season as an NHL head coach
with the Dallas Stars. The Moosomin, Saskatchewan native notched his 100th win with Phoenix on Nov. 5 vs. Edmonton, becoming the fastest coach in franchise history to reach the
100-win plateau. Below is a list of the coaches with the most regular season wins since the start of the 02-03 season:
1. Mike Babcock, ANA-DET: 419 wins
2. Dave Tippett, DAL-PHX: 406 wins
3. Joel Quennville, STL-COL-CHI: 385 wins
4. Barry Trotz, NSH: 382 wins
5. Lindy Ruff, BUF: 373 wins
FEBRUARY FRENZY
The Coyotes were in 12th place in the West, three points out of the last playoff spot on Feb. 1. As of Feb. 29, the club sat in the third seed in the West, first in the Pacific Division and
five points above the eighth seed. Phoenix closed February 2012 as the league’s hottest team (11-0-1) with a 12-game point streak (23 out of a possible 24 points). In 2010-11, the
Coyotes also collected 16 points in 17 days from Feb. 5-22. The Desert Dogs have posted a winning streak of at least five games between Jan. 26-Feb. 22 in each of the past three
seasons (six games from Jan. 26-Feb. 5 in 2009-10, eight games from Feb. 5-22 in 2010-11, five games from Feb. 4-11 and six games from Feb. 16-28 in 2011-12). During Dave
Tippett’s tenure the Coyotes are 23-7-2 in Feb.
DOUBLE DIGITS FOR D-MEN
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (13) and Keith Yandle (11) are only the third pair of Coyotes’ defensemen to reach double-digits in goals in the same season since the 1992-93 season (Yandle –
12, Jovanovski – 10 in 2009-10; Housley – 18, Olausson – 16 in 1992-93).
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