This is a guest column contributed to KTAR.com. Your voice can be heard too. Send your opinion piece on any topic to valleyvoices@ktar.com.

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that the Coyotes have one of the lowest payrolls in the NHL. Their payroll of $39 million is higher only than the Islanders, $14 million less than the league average, and $25 million less than the Red Wings who have the NHL's highest payroll. Because they have such a low payroll and up until recently have had poor drafts they do not have a player that can be classified as a genuine goal scorer.

In hockey the benchmark of a good goal scorer is very similar to home run hitters in baseball. The standard number that players try and achieve is 30 goals, just as in baseball it's 30 home runs.

Typically there are about 25 players that will finish the season between 30-40 goals, five will score 40-50, and on a good year two or three will get 50+. All very similar numbers to the amount of baseball players that reach those totals in home runs.

Captain Shane Doan, who is usually in the neighborhood of 30 goals, finally got 31 last year to eclipse the mark for the second time in his career. Right wing Radim Vrbata, acquired during the offseason via free agency, has the potential to be a 30 goal-a-year player and came close with a career high of 27 goals in 2007. Right Wing Petr Prucha, acquired at the trade deadline last season, had 30 goals in only 68 games in 2005 and 22 in 2006 but has since had limited success.

Needless to say the Coyotes are in the bottom third of NHL teams in the amount of goals scored. Currently they rank 24th in goals per game, and many of the goals they do get are a result of hard work, getting to the net, and not giving up on scoring chances. The Coyotes success has been driven by scoring by committee, sound defensive play, and strong goaltending.

Both starting goalie Ilya Brzgalov and backup Jason LaBarbera are turning in phenomenal performances this year and have kept the Coyotes in games. They both rank among the league leaders in save percentages, although LaBarbera has only played in three games. New goaltending coach and former Coyote Sean Burke has brought out the best in both players and the fact that the Coyotes have allowed the fewest goals in the NHL is a testament to his work.

While the Coyotes do not have the big names like Sydney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin they do have players that are working together to get wins, and in the end that's what counts and that is the benchmark of success.