Off the Ice: Phoenix Coyotes clicking without their captain

Dec 14, 2013, 4:38 PM | Updated: 7:23 pm

Coyotes captain Shane Doan missed his third straight game with an undetermined illness Thursday against the New York Islanders. While the Coyotes didn’t exactly struggle on the ice (they won 6-3), it’s strange to watch a team that looks to Doan when times get tough. Say, nearly blowing a 4-1 lead?

But the team can’t count on Doan’s return anytime soon. He’s been ruled out for the foreseeable future. By the sound of it, head coach Dave Tippett is concerned that he could be without his captain for an extended period of time.

So what are the Coyotes to do? Clearly the NHL season doesn’t stop because someone is sick or hurt, even if they are the team’s leading scorer. After the win Thursday, Tippett said his team is always ready to cover for someone who’s out for any reason.

“Every guy in there feels a responsibility,” he said. “They have to chip in.”

And chip in they have. Since losing Doan, the Coyotes are 2-0-1. That doesn’t seem like a feat, but considering they dropped both Vancouver and Colorado, two of the better Western Conference teams this season, on the road without their captain and the numbers get a little more important.

“We’ve been doing it together,” center Mike Ribeiro said after Thursday’s win. “I think everyone is chipping in.”

But what if the Coyotes are without Doan for an extended period of time? It’s not like they haven’t dealt with injuries this year. Defenseman Zbynek Michalek, defenseman Derek Morris and forward Lauri Korpikoski have all missed a significant amount of time with others picking up little issues along the way.

“Obviously, Doaner is our leading scorer but that just means someone else has to try and score the goals,” forward Mikkel Boedker said Thursday, who netted himself two in the win.

The biggest issue for a Doan-less Coyotes is leadership. He’s the heart and soul of the team, the guy everyone relies on to give the team the extra boost when things don’t go its way.

However a Coyotes team effort will yield a team result without their talisman. Since Doan got sick, center Antoine Vermette was given the extra assistant captain slot, a role he has filled nicely. In his last three, Vermette has posted 3-1-4 and won 66 percent of his faceoffs. The other Coyotes assistant captains, Keith Yandle (1-2-3 in his last three games) and Martin Hanzal (60 percent of faceoffs won) have also picked up the slack. If that doesn’t make up for the loss of your leading scorer, I’m not sure what else does.

While the Coyotes want their captain back ASAP, he couldn’t have picked a better time to get sick. The team will play five straight against Eastern Conference teams, albeit four of those on the road. However, Phoenix is 8-1-1 against the conference this season and this next spell should be a bit easier without a Western Conference opponent.

Clearly, whatever Doan has going on is pretty bad. I can’t think of the last time I heard of a hockey player missing an extended period of time because he was sick. But with the way his squad is playing, he can get some rest.

So go ahead, Doaner. Sit back, catch some daytime TV and know that the Coyotes are still clicking without their captain. See you when you’re back on your skates.

New York Islanders' John Tavares (91) leaps over Phoenix Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson, of Sweden, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Islanders' John Tavares, left, gets off a shot between the legs of Phoenix Coyotes' Zbynek Michalek (4), of the Czech Republic, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes' Zbynek Michalek, of the right, Czech Republic, shouts as he gets his stick broken by New York Islanders' Thomas Vanek (26), of Austria, on a slash as Coyotes' Tim Kennedy (34) comes in late for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Islanders' Kevin Poulin (60) gives up a goal to Phoenix Coyotes' Keith Yandle as Coyotes' Martin Hanzal (11), of the Czech Republic, creates interference in front of the net while Islanders' Andrew MacDonald (47) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Islanders' Kevin Poulin (60) gives up a goal to Phoenix Coyotes' Mikkel Boedker (89), of Denmark, his second of the night, as Islanders' Andrew MacDonald, right, slides along the ice during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Islanders' Kevin Poulin (60) gives up a goal to Phoenix Coyotes' Mikkel Boedker, of Denmark, as Islanders' Andrew MacDonald (47) slides along the ice during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Islanders' Kyle Okposo (21) celebrates his goal against Phoenix Coyotes' Mike Smith (41) with teammate Michael Grabner (40), of Austria, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes' Mike Smith (41) makes a glove save on a shot by New York Islanders' Eric Boulton, right, as Coyotes' Michael Stone, left, defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes' Zbynek Michalek (4), of the Czech Republic, pushes the puck away in front of goalie Mike Smith (41) as New York Islanders' Josh Bailey (12) pushes Michalek down and Coyotes' Jordan Szwarz, far right, reaches out for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes defeated the Islanders 6-3.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Islanders' Kevin Poulin (60) makes a save on a shot by Phoenix Coyotes' Radim Vrbata (17), of the Czech Republic, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes defeated the Islanders 6-3.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Islanders' Cal Clutterbuck (15) checks Phoenix Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson, of Sweden, into the boards during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes defeated the Islanders 6-3. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes' Mike Ribeiro (63) celebrates his goal with teammates David Moss (18), Zbynek Michalek (4), of the Czech Republic, and Keith Yandle (3) as New York Islanders' Aaron Ness (55) skates past during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Phoenix Coyotes' Rob Klinkhammer (36) scores a goal against New York Islanders' Kevin Poulin (60) as Islanders' Aaron Ness (55) slides on the ice in front of the goal and Coyotes' Mike Ribeiro (63) looks on during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes defeated the Islanders 6-3. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Off the Ice: Phoenix Coyotes clicking without their captain