DECEMBER 1, 2009 -- Don Maloney finds his Coyotes in good shape with one third of the season gone. It’s been a mixed bag for Maloney, mostly good. At 15-11-1, Phoenix sits four games over .500 after a hot start. Only Calgary, Chicago and San Jose have a better record against the Western conference. Ilya Bryzgalov (2.12GAA; .919SV%) has carried the low-scoring club while Adrian Aucoin has turned out to be a smart acquisition, helping Ed Jovanovski steer a young defense to new respectability, munching minutes—regularly over twenty minutes per game.

Don Maloney

“We have not been scoring,” said Maloney during a 3-2 victory in Anaheim. “Bryzgalov has been tremendous, and our defensive play has been consistent. (We're) one of the better teams without the puck. We don't have that dynamic guy like (Corey) Perry or (Ryan) Getzlaf, or even (Teemu) Selanne, that guy who can get that breakaway goal. We haven't found it yet.”

Maloney, whose cash-strapped club faces ongoing uncertainty, sees hope for improvement from within the organization.

“I think there's more to this group than we've seen so far. Peter Prucha, for example. He gets chances, but he's sitting there on a couple of goals (26GP: 2-3-5). A kid like (Lauri) Korpikoski. He skates, he looks like a star in practice, but we need better execution at the end of the day. We don't have the wherewithal to go out and sign that free agent who can be a game breaker."

IT’S FOR THE BEST: BACK TO THE FARM

Reversing former GM Mike Barnett’s trend of signing fading veterans, Maloney has stocked the club with its draftees, sometimes going too far, as in the past two seasons, but energizing the organization’s hockey department by showcasing Kyle Turris, Mikael Boedker, Peter Mueller, Martin Hanzal, Keith Yandle and Kevin Porter. This season, Maloney has wisely reigned in the number of youthful opportunities, assigning various youngsters to the AHL and elsewhere, including Turris to San Antonio and most recently, Viktor Tikhonov to the KHL.

“The first year in here (2007-08), we put four or five young players in the lineup and had relative success,” Maloney offers. “I thought last year, the mistake we made was adding five or six young players. Consequently, half the team was rookie or first-year pro, and over time we didn't have a chance to win. With the uncertainty of what happened to the club this summer, we just needed more veteran presence, and try to bring the guys along at a slower pace.”

“So, therefore, a guy like Kyle Turris, who's a real good prospect for us, is playing down in San Antonio (AHL). He's playing a lot, and when he gets back here, he'll be a bona fide top three player, not just a hopeful top line player. I think Mike Boedker has played well, he's back up with us, hopefully he'll stick and add something to our lineup. I don't think it ever hurts to keep young guys playing, wherever they are.”

Maloney is unwavering in his support for American Mueller (24GP: 1-3-4), the hottest Coyotes prospect in years who has struggled producing under new coach Dave Tippett.

“Peter's been an interesting case. Two years ago, he had a very strong season as a rookie, 22 goals and 50-plus points. Last year, a soft season. But this year, he came into camp moving better, everything looks good but the production isn't there yet.”

With little resources for big-fish free agents, Mueller’s importance can’t be overemphasized.

“We need him to produce. He's at a stage now--third year pro--where even though he's still young, we think he's got the ability to be a consistent scorer in this league. But through the first 25 games, he just hasn't found his niche yet. You have to be patient. He's always been a top scorer at every level he's played at; I think that if one goes in, he's the type of guy who could go ten games and score a goal in every game. We just have to be patient with Peter.”

Scottie Upshall

GOAL DROUGHT

The Coyotes are led in goal scoring by Scottie Upshall, acquired from Philadelphia in the Dan Carcillo trade last March, and Radim Vrbata, reacquired after a foray in Tampa and the Czech League. Both have seven markers heading into Thursday’s game against Calgary (12/3/09). The team sits 24th in goals-for.

“Some guys just fit better with some teams rather than others,” Maloney says of Vrbata’s return. “Two years ago, (he) was terrific for us, scored 26 goals, signed a big contract with Tampa, and when he got down there it was a bad fit. It didn't work and we were able to reacquire him this offseason. We had to ship out a couple of contracts. We look at him as a kind of bridge player until our young players continue to produce. He's been good with (Martin) Hanzal and (Peter) Prucha. He doesn't need to be a superstar, (but) we need him to score 20-plus goals.”

Upshall brings intense energy regardless whether the Coyotes are having a good night or bad.

“Scottie’s got an upbeat attitude in the locker room and in practice. He's a fun guy to have on your team, because he's always going 100 miles per hour. He's been a nice fit, has a positive outlook, and can bring real speed into the lineup. With Matt Lombardi, we want (those two) to play an up-tempo style when we have the puck and I think that what we've seen with the new coaching staff, we're much more disciplined without the puck.”

Adrian Aucoin

DEFENSE THRIVING

The defense, crown jewel of the team, ranks fifth in the league in team goals against. Veteran free agent signee Adrian Aucoin, 36-year-old minute muncher who signed a one-year, $2.25M deal over the summer. It’s a perfect stroke by Maloney, who needed a short term at the right price from a veteran who can lead a green defensive corps.

“You hit the nail on the head,” smiles Maloney, considering the tight financial circumstances the club faced last offseason. “When we looked around this summer, we knew that we really had to be prudent where we invested our money--we didn't have a lot of it--so a guy like Aucoin, who's always played a lot of minutes on good teams the last couple years in Calgary, 23 or 24 minutes a game (23:48 per game as of 11/30/09). He's a real good locker room personality, very good with the young players. You can see how Keith Yandle and David Schlemko have come along. He (Aucoin) brings a positive influence to these players, a calm dimension to the game behind the blue line.”

Phoenix’s financial concerns opened a door of opportunity for Aucoin.

“He's certainly making less than he was a year ago (but) we were able to get him signed and he's played an important role with us. Those kinds of veterans, it's important to get the right guys. He's been as good a signing as any as far as I'm concerned."

Young veterans such as Matt Lombardi (23GP: 5-11-16), and Robert Lang (27GP: 6-10-16) have also bolstered the lineup.

Impressively, the team is 12-7-1 against the Western conference 6-3 against the Pacific division. Having divisional and conference points in the bank early will certainly help later in the season. The Coyotes have also managed to cap their losing streaks at two (five times), the team rebounding more quickly this season.

A LESSON FROM STUDIO 54 DAYS

As a player, Maloney’s rookie season came as a member of the infamous New York Rangers 1978-79 team that made a Stanley Cup final run, only to lose to the Canadiens during the Habs’ last of four consecutive late-70s Cups. He remembers his youthful take on the Stanley Cup.

“At that time, I was 20 years old, and I was thinking, 'Okay, we didn't win it this year, we'll win it next year,’” says Maloney, pausing for effect. “That was 30-plus years ago and I'm still chasing it (laughs)!”

“It was right in the whole Studio 54 disco era. The whole city, all of New York came alive for the hockey team. It kind of came as a surprise. We had a lot of personalities, Ron Duguay and Donnie Murdoch (for example). Lots of characters.”

The Arizona desert is a long way from those halcyon days in Manhattan. Now, the GM’s swift maneuverings for his Coyotes, borne of financial prudence, have proven very smart indeed as Phoenix struggles to stay alive, fill its building, and win games.