For Keith Yandle, Phoenix's highly dependable and highly regarded defenceman, there's no magic formula to explain the Coyotes' showing in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs. It simply comes down to good, old-fashioned hard work.
Speak to any player on the Coyotes, first line to fourth line, defencemen or goaltenders, and to a man, they talk of what makes them a success story, a team that doesn't boast a superstar, but instead is a grinding, effective unit driven by a blue-collar approach.
It's a philosophy that has put Phoenix in the Western Conference final against the Los Angeles Kings.
"I don't know how to really explain what makes us successful," said Yandle, who has played in all 82 regular season games for the past three campaigns. "I think it starts with having faith in your own game and then everyone having faith in each other. For us to have success, we need to go shift to shift, period to period, with everyone pitching in."
The Coyotes, the No. 3 seed in the West, bested the Chicago Blackhawks in the quarter-finals, taking out the 2010 Cup champions in six games, including a series-clinching, 4-0 road win.
"The one thing that we have done well throughout the year, regular season and playoffs, is to come back with a good effort after a loss or losses. We are able to find a way to turn things around. As a group, we are able to keep focused and stay calm. That's what you need, especially at this point." – Phoenix Coyotes defenceman, Keith Yandle
Phoenix then took on No. 4 Nashville, ousting the Predators in five games, to put them in the West championship series.
Now, after two losses on home ice and a 2-1 loss in game three in Los Angeles, the Coyotes find themselves on the ropes, facing elimination at the hands of the eighth-seeded Kings.
"The one thing that we have done well throughout the year, regular season and playoffs, is to come back with a good effort after a loss or losses," said Yandle, the 105th overall selection of the Coyotes in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. "We are able to find a way to turn things around. As a group, we are able to keep focused and stay calm. That's what you need, especially at this point."
Yandle, who appeared in his first NHL game on October 11, 2006 against the Detroit Red Wings and logged 20 minutes of ice time, also points to team chemistry as a huge factor in Phoenix's ability to rebound.
"We push each other to be better, bring each other up after a loss, and understand we need to all outwork the opposition," said the Massachusetts native, who scored the first goal for the Coyotes against the Red Wings, in his first playoff game on April 14, 2010. "We've had awesome goaltending from Mike (Smith) and Jason (LaBarbera) throughout the season. We've been resilient when we've needed to be."
They've also given their fans something to cheer about.
"It's nice to see," offered the 25-year-old, who was named to the 2011 NHL All Star game as a replacement for Tobias Enstrom, and also participated in the 2012 event. "To be the No. 1 talk of the town, it's a great feeling for us. When we're at home, the fans really get behind us and you can sense that excitement."
While he might not get noticed all the time when he's out, Yandle has encountered a few supporters away from he rink.
"You know what it is?" explained the blueliner, who signed a five-year contract extension with the Coyotes in the summer of 2011. "It's that straggly playoff beard I have going. That must be it. We look so much different than everyone else, so I'm sure people associate that with hockey."
While he might not be sporting the most fashionable look, Yandle's in no hurry to see his appearance altered.
"I like what it represents," he said. "The longer your beard is, that means you're still playing. I'm definitely good with that."
The first order of business, however, is to get back into the series against a formidable opponent.
"We really came together at an important point in the season," recalled Yandle, of Phoenix's impressive surge after the All-Star break. "I remember having some meeting, Tip (head coach Dave Tippett) telling us how much the next 15, 20 games mean to our team. It was a rush to get into the playoffs. It was so tight in the West, we knew we had to play well to get into the playoffs, get the highest seed we could get. I think it was the coaching staff getting us together and pinpointing that we really needed to step up our game. I thought we did a real good job of doing that."
Now, Yandle, who had an assist in Game Three, along with his teammates, will look to rekindle that success with their simple, yet effective, blueprint for winning.
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