With playoff carrot gone, Coyotes veterans are key to sustaining growth

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Coach Dave Tippett held a meeting with his veteran players on Friday. The Coyotes had lost their season-high seventh straight game the night before and the team was threatening to tumble into another death spiral similar to last season’s soul-searching, 56-point embarrassment.

Tippett put the onus on his veterans to make sure that didn’t happen.

“If things don’t go your way you still have to show the young guys how you perform and how you handle yourself; how you continue to try to get better,” captain Shane Doan said. “You can’t just be happy with being here. That’s the biggest message.

“Hopefully, we have the guys who can point the way with how to be successful and what the expectations are.”

Barring a collapse by Minnesota and Colorado, and a torrid run by the Coyotes over the season’s final 17 games, Arizona isn’t going to make the playoffs. The Coyotes trail the Wild by 10 points for the Western Conference’s final wild card spot and 10 of Arizona’s final 17 games are on the road.

That said, this season has been about organizational growth and that can’t change just because there is no playoff carrot to dangle at the end of the stick.

“The challenge is to be a consistent NHL player every day,” Tippett said. “They have to show up and put the work in to try to get better every day if they want to become good NHL players for a long time; not just a flash in the pan.”

In that sense, it was telling that all of the Coyotes veterans were back in the lineup on Saturday against Florida. Center Boyd Gordon returned form a hand injury, defenseman Zbynek Michalek was back from a lower-body injury, newly acquired forward Alex Tanguay played his first game after a knee sprain sidelined him against the Ducks and the Coyotes scratched young defensemen Jarred Tinordi and Klas Dahlbeck.

It was also helpful that the veterans led the way in a 5-1 win. Tanguay had two goals and an assist, Antoine Vermette broke out of a lengthy slump to post four points (a goal and three assists) and Doan scored his 24th goal of the season.

While a faction of the fan base may just want the Coyotes to lose in order to improve their draft position and draft-lottery odds, it’s important to remember that coaches and players are not wired that way. For veterans, the future is a far shorter time frame so the urgency to win increases. For coaches, their livelihoods are based upon winning so there is no compromise when it comes to that goal.

Mikkel Boedker’s recent trade to Colorado stung a locker room that had hoped to be in the playoff chase and adding a piece or two at the deadline. By acquiring another veteran like Tanguay, however, the Coyotes may have added a valuable piece to help light the way to their promising but still unfulfilled potential.

“There’s a lot of young, talented players here and there is going to be growth,” Tanguay, 36, said. “I know it’s been hard for them the last little bit, but I’m going to work as hard as possible to help the guys out here, show them the way I was taught, and maybe if I’m lucky, help this organization’s future.”

Coyotes at Avalanche

When: Monday, 7 p.m.
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver
TV: NBC Sports Network
Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM
Season series: Coyotes lead, 2-0

Probable goalies: Avalanche — Semyon Varlamov. Coyotes — Louis Domingue.

Injury report: Avalanche — D Eric Gelinas (back) is day to day. C Jesse Winchester (concussion) and D Brad Stuart (back) are on IR. Coyotes — G Mike Smith (abdominal surgery) is day to day. G Anders Lindback (Achilles) and RW Joe Vitale (concussion symptoms) are out for the season.

Scouting the Avs: Colorado lost for the third time in its last four games and has fallen two points behind Minnesota for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. … Colorado coach Patrick Roy and Coyotes goalie Louis Domingue have a stormy history from their time together with the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL); Roy as coach, Domingue as his goalie. Domingue infamously referred to Roy as “one of the worst people I’ve ever met.” Don’t expect a pregame hug. … Former Coyote F Mikkel Boedker has a goal and an assist in three games with the Avs since coming over at the trade deadline for Alex Tanguay and two prospects.

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