Coyotes’ Doan: We ‘haven’t been close to good enough’ last two games

Shane Doan and the Phoenix Coyotes are coming off a tough loss to the New York Islanders, defeated 6-1 in the Big Apple on Tuesday, and the team’s captain was straightforward about their play the day after.

“Obviously, they gave it to us last night,” Doan told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo Wednesday. “They were good and we were bad, so that’s never going to be a good combination. The last two games, we’ve been on the wrong end of two games that we don’t enjoy.”

Doan agreed with head coach Dave Tippett, who said the lopsided score didn’t accurately show the level of play between the two teams.

“The game against the Islanders wasn’t a 6-1 game,” Doan said. “They got some fortunate bounces that went their way and we had some things happen that I really wish could’ve gone our way.”

He pointed at his shot that deflected off the post when it was still 3-1, a missed goal that would’ve changed the outlook of the game. Instead of Phoenix pulling within one, the Islanders took advantage and scored a goal of their own to put themselves up three, essentially ending the Coyotes’ chances.

Doan added the loss, the team’s second big defeat in a row, is especially tough considering how well they started the season. The Coyotes won big at home in their season opener against the New York Rangers, but they’ve failed to repeat that performance since heading out on the road.

The Coyotes first traveled out to San Jose, where the Sharks handed them a thorough 4-1 defeat. Then came the loss in New York, which has caused some to panic, but Doan remains confident.

“It’s discouraging in the fact we’re not playing as well as we think we’re capable of,” Doan said. “And it’s discouraging the last two games have been as bad as they’ve been. But it’s also encouraging the fact that it was only five or six days ago we were playing exactly the way we need to.”

While they’re focused on turning things around, Doan added it’s important to maintain some perspective that it’s still early in the campaign.

“It’s not like it’s been a month and we’re trying to figure everything out and it’s taken a while. We had two games that we struggled in,” Doan said. “We just can’t afford to not recognize that we haven’t been close to good enough and that’s kind of been the issue the last couple days.”

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