GLENDALE, Ariz. – Piggybacking off their first sustained momentum in the Western Conference finals, the Phoenix Coyotes returned home with rejuvenated spirits for today's Game 5.
Backed by a textbook performance from goaltender Mike Smith and a memorable effort by captain Shane Doan in a Game 4 victory against the Los Angeles Kings, the hope that this team could sneak out of a 3-0 deficit was reinforced.
But the situation remains grim entering Game 5 (9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network). The Coyotes are one loss from elimination, and the Kings' success at Jobing.com Arena is daunting. They nabbed consecutive victories in Arizona to start the series and are unbeaten this season in seven road playoff games.
"It's why they're up 3-1," Coyotes right wing Radim Vrbata said. "We lost the first two home games. If we want this series to continue, we have to win. It's that simple. If we do, their streak will be over. But I don't think we're looking at any streaks — who won how many on the road — we just have to win the next game again."
Game 4 was the first time the Kings had been shut out and the second time they'd allowed consecutive goals in the postseason. The Coyotes accomplished what the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues struggled to, punching a few holes in the No. 8 seed Kings' dominance.
"I really think it's tough to come into a building and do it three times," Doan said. "They did it to Vancouver … but it's tough to do it again."
Luckily for Phoenix, a blueprint of how to be successful against the Kings should be fresh in their minds. In Game 4, the Coyotes finally found a way to solve the Kings' relentless forechecking, and that snowballed into scoring opportunities and less time spent in their own zone defending.
"I liked the way we were more competitive in some one-on-one battles," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "We gave ourselves a better chance to win because we won more battles."
The Coyotes were able to be more engaged because they had puck possession. And that started with finding a better way to gain entry into the Kings' zone.
"The first couple games when we were able to get deep and put the puck behind them, they were getting out of their end quicker than we wanted," center Antoine Vermette said. "We did a better job to have a better five-guy forecheck so that didn't allow those holes that they were finding a little easier the first couple games."
But what worked in one game doesn't always translate to the next. If the Kings are better, the Coyotes also must improve.
"If we take a step backwards and decide that we're going to do things soft and easy, it's probably not going to work out for us," Tippett said. "They're going to come in with the mind-set they're going to battle for their ice and battle to win. If we're not ready for that challenge, I don't like our chances."
The Coyotes combated the adversity in Game 4 with the desperation they felt to continue their season. Now the challenge will be to continue to use that desperation to climb back into this series.
"We have to get on a run, and that's what we're talking about," Doan said. "We're capable of doing it. We did it throughout the year often. Hopefully Smitty can get on a run, a couple of us can get on a run, give him some support, and things can work out."
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