THE HEAT INDEX
New Coyotes center Mike Ribeiro is settling in after a slow start to his season.
He uses his eyes to spot an open teammate, his hands to deliver the pass and his legs to move toward the net in case there’s a rebound, but what Coyotes center Mike Ribeiro doesn’t need is his brain.
Apparently, that does more harm than good.
“I felt like I was thinking out there, and you don’t want to do that,” he said. “You want to be automatic and just play the game. The first few games I was thinking — and when you’re thinking, you’re a step behind.”
After searching for it for the first three games of the season, Ribeiro has found the off-switch for his brain. He has four points in his past four games after getting blanked in those first three.
What’s more, all four points have been meaningful to the Coyotes.
“That’s four games in a row now that he’s had a pretty critical point on a play to tie a game or winning goal, so his game’s coming,” coach Dave Tippett said. “I still don’t think it’s where it needs to be, but it’s coming.”
Ribeiro’s first goal with the Coyotes came Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators when he redirected a shot on the power play to send the game to overtime, securing a point for the Coyotes.
He assisted on a go-ahead goal Sunday in Carolina, and both winning goals in the two games before that to finally emerge as the playmaker the Coyotes are paying him to be.
“There’s times when it’s just not going his way, but then he’ll make a play that has an impact on the game,” Tippett said. “I think you’ve seen that the last few games. I think he’s still continuing to grow into his game (and) will continue to improve with us. Everybody’s got to find his niche on the team, and he’s no different.”
Perhaps what’s made that a challenge is the line juggling among the forwards to start the season. Ribeiro was with captain Shane Doan and wing Mikkel Boedker throughout training camp, but that line was broken up after two games. He had a brief stint as a left wing on the Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata line but is now being slotted next to wings Lauri Korpikoski and Dave Moss.
“We’re trying to get him where he feels comfortable with things,” Tippett said. “I did the same thing with him in Dallas.”
As much as Ribeiro is familiar with Tippett and his style, fitting into a new team isn’t usually a seamless transition. On this team, everyone has to play a 200-foot game.
“That’s an area of his game that he needs to make sure is in place,” Tippett said. “That’s just a prerequisite to play on our team, and he knows that.”
Undoubtedly, this style is different from what Ribeiro was used to last season in Washington with the Capitals. He played occasionally alongside Alex Ovechkin, and his chief responsibility was to create offense.
“He slows the game down and he gives you the puck in situations where you feel like you’re confident,” Doan said. “He also competes. He competes so hard.”
But the talent around Ribeiro has changed, and he’s now the go-to guy. It’s taking time for him to play like that, but it’s a role he very much still wants.
“I still want to create more, but it is fun to have that pressure and try to make the plays you need at the right time,” he said. “I was able the last few games to get those plays made at the right time, but I still think my game can be better.”