{coyotes} Coyotes' Doan remains out 'for the foreseeable future'

Thursday 12 December 2013

{coyotes} Coyotes' Doan remains out 'for the foreseeable future'

Miracle On 34th Street (1947)

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Exactly what has been ailing Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan for the last week hasn't been revealed. But coach Dave Tippett indicated the illness isn't simply a short-term concern, and it could keep Phoenix's leading goal scorer and leader out of the lineup for an extended period.

Doan was not on the ice Thursday morning and will miss his third straight game when the Coyotes host the New York Islanders. Doan has a team-best 12 goals and 23 points in 27 games and leaves a big hole in the Coyotes lineup, both in production and leadership.

"He's still under the weather and he's still not going to be available for the foreseeable future," Tippett said. "He's still getting some tests done, so hopefully it's not long, long-term."

Doan has been exceptionally durable during his career. Prior to this week, the 37-year-old forward had missed only 13 games since the 2008-09 season and has played 79 or more games 10 times in his career.

The last time the Islanders visited Jobing.com Arena, on Jan. 7, 2012, Doan collected the lone hat trick of his 1,273-game NHL career and put the third goal over the line with less than a second remaining in a 5-1 Coyotes win.

Phoenix will have No. 1 goalie Mike Smith back Thursday. Smith sat out Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche with the flu and watched backup Thomas Greiss play very well in a 3-1 win. That victory capped a 2-1-1 road trip for the Coyotes.

Greiss is now 4-2-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average in eight appearances.

The Islanders snapped a 10-game winless streak with a 3-2 shootout win against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Forward Ryan Strome, their No.1 draft pick in 2011 who currently leads the American Hockey League in scoring with 33 points, was recalled Tuesday but will not be in the lineup Thursday.

The Coyotes will again be without forward Lauri Korpikoski, who has been out since Nov. 16 with an upper-body injury, and defenseman Derek Morris, who remains out due to a family issue.

ISLANDERS

Thomas Vanek - John Tavares - Kyle Okposo

Josh Bailey - Frans Nielsen - Colin McDonald

Michael Grabner - Brock Nelson - Cal Clutterbuck

Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Eric Boulton

Calvin de Haan - Travis Hamonic

Thomas Hickey - Andrew MacDonald

Aaron Ness - Brian Strait

Kevin Poulin

Evgeni Nabokov

Scratched: Matt Carkner, Peter Regin, Ryan Strome

Injured: Radek Martinek (back), Lubomir Visnovsky (concussion)