GLENDALE, Ariz. – Belief crept into the Phoenix Coyotes' dressing room and settled among the players with 19 games left on the regular-season schedule.
After the team turned in one of its most impressive months in franchise history, going 11-0-1 in February, the Coyotes considered themselves legitimate playoff contenders.
"Everybody kind of thought we could beat anybody now," captain Shane Doan said. "We really did. We thought we could beat anyone. That was probably the first step."
That performance in February didn't catapult the Coyotes into the playoffs. A five-game winless skid to start March forced the Coyotes to need a 5-0 finish to the season just to nab a postseason spot.
But what February did for the Coyotes was provide them for a blueprint for how to succeed, and that's the model that helped them not only edge past the Chicago Blackhawks in Round 1 but also eliminate the Nashville Predators in five games.
Next up is a Western Conference finals meeting with the Los Angeles Kings, a Pacific Division rival.
"Our players have done an unbelievable job of focusing on the task at hand and what they can control, and that's to play well," coach Dave Tippett said.
Elite goaltending, timely offense and the ability to win one-goal games propelled the Coyotes to the team's best winning percentage for a full month in February, and those elements are leading them now.
In February, Mike Smith had a 1.45 goals-against-average and .952 save percentage during his 11-game win streak. Smith has been operating at the same level this postseason, stealing wins and becoming a leading candidate in the Conn Smythe conversation for playoff MVP.
Entering the series against the Kings, Smith carries a 1.77 goals-against-average and a .948 save percentage.
"He's been a huge part of our team, and in the playoffs you need great goaltending," Tippett said. "It goes without saying if you have good goaltending, you have a chance every night."
While the Coyotes have never been known for overwhelming an opponent with their offense, they've been shut out once in the playoffs.
Each game features new contributors, and 13 players have registered at least one goal, with five players scoring three or more.
Ultimately, this method of manufacturing wins requires involvement from everyone. That unity is perhaps the most crucial factor.
"It's so special because you never know the players in here — the older players that don't have too many more years left, the younger players that might move on," Smith said. "The team changes so differently every year. So it's special when you get on a run going like this with a group like we have in here."
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