{coyotes} Captain Shane Doan showcases leadership

Monday, 21 May 2012

{coyotes} Captain Shane Doan showcases leadership

LOS ANGELES – For two days, Shane Doan smoldered.

Behind that easy-going demeanor, the warmth had left his eyes and a cartoon plume of smoke over his head followed him everywhere.

So Doan did what he does best. He led the charge against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday at Staples Center, his stick a defibrillator paddle that sparked life back into this series.

Doan 2, Kings 0.

The Coyotes are coming home.

"He showed why he is one of the top captains in the league," forward Taylor Pyatt said. "We live to fight another day."

Doan was everywhere. He scored both goals, landed twice in the penalty box and was often the first guy on the forecheck. He played 22 minutes and 35 seconds, the most among forwards in the game.

And he kept his career with the Coyotes alive for one more game.

No one wants to discuss it, but the uncertainty about ownership also means uncertainty about his future. Doan, whose contract expires after this season, and general manager Don Maloney agreed before the season that once the ownership situation was resolved, the two would work out a new deal, probably in the three- to four-year range.

If ownership issues continue to be unanswered, Doan will look hard at his options, which would include a return to Western Canada.

The good news for Coyotes fans is that talks with potential owner Greg Jamison, the City of Glendale and the NHL appear to be going well.

If the team stays, Maloney will reach out to Doan, 35, at record speed. He said as much before the season.

Doan might not be the player he was 10 years ago, but he remains a physical presence who is also a unifying force in the locker room. In the age of temperamental professional athletes, that quality can't be overstated.

"You don't see all the things happening behind the scenes, in the dressing room, the inspiration he is to the other guys there, how he cares about this team and winning," coach Dave Tippett said. "To do the behind-the-scenes stuff and then to back it up with the on-the-ice stuff, it speaks volumes to who he is."

"He was such a great leader (Sunday)," goalie Mike Smith said, "and it trickled down. Everybody knew they were going to do their part."

Doan's two goals Sunday give him five for the postseason.

He is beloved in Phoenix, which makes it fascinating to watch the response to him by Los Angeles fans.

They hate him.

Every time his name was mention, they booed. He was ejected from Game 2 for boarding Kings forward Trevor Lewis and has more penalty minutes than anyone on both teams this postseason.

"I think (the booing) is great," Doan said. "It makes you feel like you're kind of doing your job right."

Doan has been skating a fine line of trying to be physical without letting it negatively impact his team.

In Thursday's Game 3, he had 11 hits and seemed discouraged afterward about his play.

"I think I might have been caught up a little bit in trying to be overly physical in the other games," he said. "I had opportunities to make plays, take the puck to the net and didn't do it as well."

For one of the few times in this series, the Coyotes had bounces go their way, which tends to happen when a team plays better.

The interference call on the Kings' Justin Williams that put the Coyotes on the power play was questionable at best. The Coyotes used that opportunity to take a 1-0 lead on a nice Doan backhand that sent the puck past Jonathan Quick and into the net.

But the Coyotes also created their own luck with aggressive play and strong efforts on the penalty kill.

It was clear from listening to the Coyotes the past few days how important it was to them to avoid a sweep. They felt their efforts during much of the first three games weren't accurate reflections of who they were during the season. They didn't want to leave fans with a bad taste in their mouths.

It's true the Coyotes were a grittier and more disciplined team leading up to this series. They played more that way Sunday and now attempt to do something only three other teams in NHL history have done: come back from a 3-0 series deficit.

They are one step closer.

"Nobody wants to be in the position we're in, but everybody wants to answer that call," Doan said.

The road is still a difficult one. But the Coyotes are closer to answering that call than they were before.