Shane Doan was not suspended for his questionable hit on Los Angeles’ Trevor Lewis during Tuesday’s contest. However, Phoenix’s Martin Hanzal was suspended and the Los Angeles Kings have a 2-0 series lead over the Coyotes.
If Phoenix wants to survive, they’ll have to find a way to beat Jonathan Quick, who shut them out in Game 2. Someone has to stand up and Phoenix Coyotes coach Dave Tippett thinks it will be Doan.
“We expect him to be better,” Tippett said of Doan. Tippett later added, “He’s our leader. He wants to come back and have a strong game. I expect him to come in and have his best game of series.”
Doan is known for being an offensive contributor as well as a physical presence. He was on a three-game point streak before he got a game misconduct and five-minute boarding major on Tuesday.
Still, Doan was held off the score sheet in five of the Coyotes’ six meetings against Los Angeles during the regular season and the Kings have been a much bigger challenge in the playoffs.