SUPERIOR — Monarch junior Reid Taylor doesn’t want to harp on the tough stretch the Coyotes went through in the final weeks of the regular season.
Though it could feel like the bounce of the puck was as kind as a forecheck, now was time to reset with the hopes of a deep postseason run.
The fifth-seeded Coyotes turned the page on a 2-4-1 close to the regular season almost immediately in Thursday’s opening round to the Class 5A playoffs at the Sports Stable. Just moments after the house lights turned back on and the pregame music was lowered, Taylor scored 14 seconds into a six-goal first period in an eventual 12-0 win over No. 12 Lewis-Palmer.
“Honestly, we put (the end of the regular season) behind us and just focused on the playoffs,” said Taylor, noting how the Coyotes’ ho-hum record in the CPHL regular season from the fall didn’t stop them from reaching those finals. “We just came in here with the same mindset. We want to win, and it starts now. It’s a whole new season.”
Off the opening faceoff, Taylor put away a rebound chance off of a shot from Vincent Felt and finished with a five-point night, totaling two goals and three assists.
Branden Desouza-Chen had two goals later in the frame — his second coming with 32 seconds left before the first intermission, effectively putting into effect the state’s six-goal mercy rule.
Felt added a goal to go with his three assists, pushing his team-lead in points to 33 this winter. Ben Wiener had two goals and two helpers. Jack Davila also scored twice.
In all, it was a welcome confidence boost for a team that struggled pulling out wins over the last month, totaling just two in its final seven games. Some of it had to do with its rigid schedule, coach Jimmy Dexter said. Some of it was a lack of finishing chances in tight games.
None of it, at least after Thursday, matters much now.
“These guys are coming together at the right time, I think,” Dexter said. “They were very dominant tonight. The puck movement was off the charts. Even playing a weaker team, sometimes you get bad habits. But these guys played really well, moved the puck and played as a team.”
Joseph Buschmann, Jaren Ng and Jackson Brotski also scored for the Coyotes (11-6-2), who won a CHSAA playoff game for the first time since 2020. They’d lost after a first-round bye last year, and the year before they didn’t make a condensed four-team field during the pandemic.
Simon Holstein needed just three saves to record the shutout. The Rangers’ first shot against him didn’t come until 6:20 into the second period.
Next, Monarch will face No. 4 Regis Jesuit Tuesday (8 p.m.) at South Suburban Sports Complex. The Coyotes beat the Raiders, 3-1, on Jan. 21. Their second matchup, from Friday, was halted at 2-2 in the second period and ruled no-contest due to broken glass.
“It’s definitely going to take our best brand of hockey,” Desouza-Chen said. “Regis is a good team. They pass well, break out of the zone well. We’re going to have to play rock-hard defense and get some goals going.”
