Coyotes playing like a team on a mission

The Coyotes are coming off a summer in which the team was constantly in the news for the wrong reasons. There were bankruptcy hearings and constant talk of a move to Canada. The financial shortcomings of the franchise were shared with the world and the team had to deal with the awkward departure of Gretzky, hockey's most beloved figure.

Doan is the player most closely associated with the Coyotes, and he has a deep connection with the franchise. Through it all, he felt helpless. There was nothing he, or the other players, could do while his franchise was trashed.

That changed when the season opened.

"It was hard to sit and just listen. You have no say or any control over it. Now that we're playing, at least you feel like you can create some positive news," Doan said. "It's something that has galvanized our room."

Now there's no room for error. That's one reason the players of the future are in the AHL. Players who were expected to contribute last season — Viktor Tikhonov, Kyle Turris, Mikkel Boedker — are developing in the minors. Where they should be.

Meanwhile, newcomers like Lang, Adrian Aucoin and James Vandermeer give a team that was among the NHL's youngest last year a veteran presence capable of maintaining the consistency Tippett demands.

It's a roster short on scorers. Assistant coach Dave King explained it this way: The Coyotes have to play like it's a 1-0 playoff game every night. It's not easy maintaining that intensity.

But right now they have the drive and the motivation. It's working.

"We're all conscious of one thing — this is a very important year for this franchise," King said. "If we can do our part, compete and people can see a future here, that would be a great year for the franchise. That would be a special thing for us."

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