SAN JOSE -- Keith Yandle, fresh off his first All-Star Game appearance, apparently doesn't think he has much name recognition yet. He greets a handful of reporters after the Coyotes' morning skate by stretching out his hand and saying, "Hi, I'm Keith," much to the delight of his teammates. "Hi, I'm Keith!" several shriek with laughter.So perhaps the polite Phoenix defenseman hasn't quite reached superstar status yet, but as far as the Coyotes are concerned, the 24-year-old is one of the main reason the team is in the sixth spot in the Western Conference. He's the top scoring defenseman in the league, with 44 points in 51 games, and he's currently on the top scoring roll in the league, with a nine-game point streak, all assists.
"He's been confident," Phoenix forward Scottie Upshall said. "Every game it's been his goal to be our best player, and you hope every year guys step up and want to take the reins. He's our assistant captain and he's taken a lot on himself. We have a great group of veteran guys back there, and to mix in a young player like that is spectacular. ... For years to come, he's going to be a great player."
What does coach Dave Tippett see that Yandle has provided his club this year? "Lots of points," Tippett said with a grin. "He's an unbelievable player in today's game. He's a young player that, everything we've thrown at him, he's grabbed it and ran with it. He's a big part of our team."
Many in Phoenix were upset when Yandle wasn't an initial All-Star selection, but he got the call as a replacement. "It was awesome," Upshall said. "He's a very deserving candidate to be there and when he was called up, it was a thrill for all of us."
Yandle was excited to be there, especially playing for Team Lidstrom -- what could be better for a young defenseman than being on the ice with Detroit's six-time Norris Trophy winner? Yandle took the opportunity to get to know Nicklas Lidstrom a little bit, and he picked his brain a bit on the bench during the game. "What a great experience," Yandle said.
"He's an unbelievable player in today's game. He's a young player that, everything we've thrown at him, he's grabbed it and ran with it. He's a big part of our team"
-- Coyotes coach Dave Tippet on Keith Yandle Meanwhile, Yandle was impressing another All-Star defenseman, San Jose's Dan Boyle. It should be no surprise that Boyle's a fan, though -- like Boyle, Yandle was undrafted (his first year out of school), he's on the smaller side (listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds) and he's an offensive defenseman.
"I liked him two, three years ago when nobody really knew who he was," Boyle said on Tuesday morning. "I love seeing young offensive defensemen. Kris Letang was another one I liked a couple of years ago and he's now getting recognized. I like seeing smaller, younger defensemen play a similar game and Yandle is obviously playing really well. He's a really good defenseman and I enjoy watching him play when I'm not playing."
Yandle will take it -- he's a Boyle fan right back.
"A guy like myself, I try to play like him," Yandle said of Boyle. "Even when we're not playing, I watch him and try to emulate. He's so calm, cool out there. He's fun to watch. He's such a good player."
The two will not, of course, be exchanging back slaps on the ice tonight, unless they're of the rough variety. San Jose is still trying to stay in a playoff spot, currently in eighth but tied with ninth-place Colorado with 56 points. And Phoenix has lost both its previous two games to the Sharks this season, as well as the past six in a row.
"Six games, we haven't touched some points from these guys," Upshall said. "We're expecting this one to be a battle and it will be whoever puts the All-Star break behind them and gets back to business."
While Yandle was enjoying the All-Star festivities, Upshall had an unusual experience during the break - he visited a friend's ranch outside Las Vegas and played with seven tigers -- including the one from "The Hangover." "That was wild," he said.
The Coyotes have won five in a row on the road, the NHL's longest current streak, and overall, the team has the West's best road mark, going 15-8-4. But after tonight's game, the Coyotes return home to play six of seven games.
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