Wayne Gretzky skated among his players Monday morning at Madison Square Garden, wearing a baseball cap and yelling instructions. The group of young players who make up the majority of the Phoenix Coyotes were listening with puppylike curiosity. The older players, however, the ones who remember Gretzky’s genius as a player from having seen him across the ice, might have appreciated the wisdom he was sharing even more.
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Fred Sjostrom, center, had the Rangers’ best view of the goal by Blair Betts, near left, that tied the score in the first period.

If it happens on ice and it involves hitting and scoring, The Times Slap Shot blog is on it.Gretzky could have regaled them with stories about his great days at the Garden, the three seasons he played for the Rangers. But now, as the Coyotes’ coach, in New York to face the Rangers on Monday night, Gretzky had more pressing issues at hand. He stands at the center of a franchise trying to mold itself around him, with its success and his still very much in doubt.
The Coyotes have made the playoffs only five times since moving to Phoenix in 1996, and not in the past five seasons. The franchise, which began as the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association, has won only two playoff series in its N.H.L. history (in 1985 and ’87).
It is now banking on a combination of Gretzky magic, a roster with 10 players who are 23 or younger, and a few veterans mixed in to help. So far, it is not working very well. The Coyotes’ 4-1 loss to the Rangers on Monday was their sixth straight loss, and Phoenix has fallen to 8-10-2 after a strong start.
“Wayne has tremendous patience, and that’s what it takes,” said Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney, a former Rangers player and executive. “It’s really a leap of faith for us to stay patient with young players. There is significant pressure for us to be better, to get to the playoffs. We’ve got 18- and 19-year-olds that we have to play. It’s a challenge.”
Both sides of that challenge showed Monday night. The Coyotes played their up-tempo offensive style, taking 36 shots against the Rangers, who rarely yield that many. Phoenix started well and took a 1-0 lead 4 minutes 8 seconds into the game on a goal by Enver Lisin, a 22-year-old forward just called up from the minors.
The Rangers (15-7-2) then took control, tying the game on a goal by Blair Betts at 13:33 of the first period, and going ahead 1:15 into the second on Brandon Dubinsky’s first goal in 14 games. Nikolai Zherdev had three assists, and Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves.
“It’s a tough scenario for our young guys to go through because I can tell they’re getting a little bit frustrated,” Gretzky said. “It’s hard to score at this level and it’s hard to be successful, but you have to continue at it. I don’t know what to say right now other than I know my team is working hard. If they keep working like that, good things are going to happen eventually.”
Gretzky is 115-132-19 in three-plus seasons as a coach, but he has found energy in the youth movement of the past two years. The Coyotes finished fourth in the Pacific Division last season, a step up from three straight fifth-place finishes, and the promise is there. They have spectacular second-year forwards like Peter Mueller and Kyle Turris, and are bringing along this year’s first-round draft pick, Mikkel Boedker.
“They’ve got some real good talent, but it might take a few years,” said Rangers forward Fred Sjostrom, who was one of the Coyotes’ young players before he was traded to the Rangers on Feb. 26. “That’s the process. They can be a team to reckon with in the future.”
The strength of the Coyotes’ young talent prompted management to swing a significant trade this summer, acquiring the 29-year-old center Olli Jokinen from Florida for defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton and a draft pick. In Jokinen, the Coyotes added a top-tier center, a player who consistently scored among the league’s leaders despite being on a consistently bad team. He had 91 points two seasons ago for Florida, which was 12th in the Eastern Conference.
“I believe this franchise is going in the right direction,” Jokinen said. “It’s been fun, to see these young guys. Their goal is just to be better every day. Their work ethic and their attitude that they bring to the rink every day, it’s amazing. The next few years are going to be a lot of fun.”
But how long it takes for the fun to arrive is the question. Maloney acknowledges they are under pressure to show strides this season and to make the playoffs, no small feat in the Western Conference.
They are counting on the Gretzky magic taking hold soon.
“I think Wayne has hung in there long enough to be no longer that superstar player that may or may not last as a coach,” Maloney said. “He came through that. I think he’s a good coach. He’s got unbelievable instincts and tremendous patience with our group. That’s what this franchise needs.”
SLAP SHOTS
The Rangers snapped a two-game losing streak. ... Center Scott Gomez returned to the lineup after missing five games with a stress fracture in his ankle. He had the most ice time of any Ranger (22:40), and had an empty-net goal.


Summary:This article is about Wayne Gretzkys struggles whith his team and what they need to improve on.


Questions: What was the Coyotes name before they were the Coyotes?

How do you think Gretzky feels about his teams struggle to win?

Do you think the Coyotes will improve?

posted by Sam Harding

article from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/sports/hockey/25rangers.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin