Two Coyotes players finished last season with 47 points. One isn't with the team anymore because of it and the other should have had so much more.
In a full 82 game season, 47 points isn't a very important total. It works out to .57 points per game, a little more than one point for every two contests played. Last season, the Coyotes had two players finish the year with exactly 47 points. It was a disappointment for both and something to build on this year for one.
The 2013-14 season got off to hot start for two important Coyote players, fancy new free agent signing Mike Ribeiro and team captain Shane Doan. Ribeiro went pointless in his first three games in a Coyote sweater, but followed that with a seven game scoring streak, notching nine points in that time.
Ribeiro's hot and cold performance would continue throughout the opening part of the season before everything took a turn after the December 4th game against the Flames. Before that game, Ribeiro had 21 points in 28 games. He would only score 26 points in the remaining 52 games he played as a Coyote.
The December 4th game against Calgary is the turning point for the Coyotes' entire 2014 season because it was the last game Shane Doan played in before felled by a mysterious illness. Doan had 22 points in 26 games at that point and was providing big goals and a huge presence on the powerplay. Doan would miss the next month of games with what was diagnosed as Rocky Mountain Fever, not retuning until January 4th against the Philadelphia Flyers.
In a normal season, that would be devastating enough, but in the Olympic year with the condensed season, it was catastrophic for the team and Doan. After tallying 15 goals in the opening 26 games, he only added 8 in the remaining 43 games he played after coming back.
Doan's illness led to his disappointing final numbers. For Ribeiro, the answer wasn't as simple. Although losing the Captain on his wing was certainly a blow, the former Coyote would also have multiple instances of uninspired play and many dumb penalties that cost the Coyotes dearly. For a team that wasn't exactly high on offensive talent, it was telling that #63 was a healthy scratch twice down the stretch for the Coyotes' unsuccessful playoff run.
Off-ice issues along with the poor on-ice performance ultimately led General Manger Don Maloney to buying out the remaining 3 years of Mike's contract this offseason, making him a free agent who eventually signed with Nashville.
Doan will hope for a bounce back season after the less than stellar end to last season. While 47 points in 69 games isn't a bad season, it's tough to finish that way after the promising start. And with 47 days left until the Coyotes start the preseason against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings, it's going to be long wait to start skating again for real.