Growing Pains for Gretzky’s Coyotes

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

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After a busy off-season, the Phoenix Coyotes appeared to be one of the NHL’s most improved teams. They added hard-hitting blueliner Ed Jovanovski to their already-solid defense and also brought in veterans Jeremy Roenick and Owen Nolan to an offense that boasted some very highend talent.

But the new additions haven’t worked out thus far, and time is rapidly running out for Wayne Gretzky’s struggling club. In Saturday night’s ugly 7-3 loss to the Rangers, blueliner Nick Boynton stood out with a particularly atrocious performance. In only 13:57 of ice time (sixth-least amongst the Coyotes), Boynton managed to rack up a ridiculous minus-five rating.

The struggles of Boynton, acquired from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Paul Mara, an offensive-minded blueliner who is much better suited to the modern NHL, mirror those of his team. Put bluntly, the Coyotes are playing pre-lockout hockey, their prehistoric playing style translating to only six standings points (out of a possible 24). Until they start playing a more disciplined brand of hockey (they have been shorthanded 89 times, most in the NHL), Phoenix cannot be expected to turn things around.

Of course, the Coyotes’ ongoing struggles are generating a predictable debate surrounding their high-profile head coach: Can Gretzky be an effective bench boss? But to judge “The Great One” based upon the performance of this ill-constructed lineup would be unfair. Until players like Ladislav Nagy and Derek Morris begin to deliver upon their enormous potential, and until captain Shane Doan (sore back) returns to the lineup, it will be very difficult to fairly judge Gretzky based upon his team’s middling performance.

Throughout his storied career, Gretzky’s greatest strength was to read the play before it happened, and his capacity to raise the level of his teammates’ performance. Now behind the bench, Gretzky can no longer rely on his extraordinary playmaking ability. Instead, he must see even further ahead, choosing the right line combinations and on-ice strategies.

If Gretzky is able to survive these early growing pains — and the appalling lack of discipline displayed by his not-so-merry band of underachievers — he should eventually develop into a top-notch bench boss. But for now, the road ahead looks quite treacherous.


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