Sarah McLellan

azcentral sports

Waiting for a legitimate goalie controversy to seize the Coyotes?

Grab a seat and put up your feet. It isn't happening today.

The Coyotes threw water on that possibility by anointing No.1 Mike Smith as the starter for Thursday night's meeting with the Wild — a team that's been antsy to get back into action after a three-day layoff, is raring to find some offensive punch and, oh, has a goalie whose goals-against average is a jaw-dropping 0.67.

Welcome back, Mike. The margin for error is right where you left it — set to little or none.

The Coyotes could have easily gone back to Devan Dubnyk, who hasn't been out of this world but steady enough to make key saves at important times and, coincidentally or not, has been the face in net for three of the team's five points.

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"Devan deserved another game," coach Dave Tippett said. "He played well. The thing we need is, we need our group to play well in front of the goalie no matter who he is."

Tippett probably wouldn't have received much criticism if he chose Dubnyk. Last season, then-backup Thomas Greiss pitched a shutout in January against Calgary, but Tippett decided to turn to Smith the next game. Dismissing the hot hand turned out to be the wrong call as the Coyotes lost the next game 4-1 to — who else? — the Wild.

History could repeat itself, or this may be the game that syncs Smith with his potential.

And to be fair, Smith and the Coyotes will never find out if he's limited to the practice ice.

"He's got to play better," Tippett said, "but he can't play better if he's sitting in the stands."

Don't feel too bad for Dubnyk. He understood the backup role when he signed with the Coyotes, and he actually didn't expect to get this assignment.

"We've got one of the best goalies in the league here in Smitty," Dubnyk said following Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Predators. "He'll find it."

Maybe outsiders can't understand that unselfish attitude, but goalies do. Dubnyk has had rocky patches dot his career, and he wouldn't wish the same adversity on his brothers in the position.

"You're never going to gain anything by somebody else's failure," he said. "You might get opportunities, but it's going to work more for everybody if you're both playing well and you're both succeeding and it's going to push you and you just have to stick together.

"It is a strange situation that way and position to be in, for sure, but you just gotta root for each other and be there together. You'll definitely have more success together if you stick with each other than obviously hoping bad things on the other guy. That's certainly not the case."

It can be difficult reconciling what's best for a team and an individual — Smith needs game action to rectify his play and yet the Coyotes have done better in front of Dubnyk — but the Coyotes recognize the trump card: Smith is the ticket for long-term success.

Dubnyk will have more chances. The Coyotes want Smith's workload to land between 55 and 60 games but to be productive with those opportunities, Smith needs this game Thursday to be a turning point.

And he knows it.

"I'm ready," Smith said. "I'm ready to get back in there and help the team. I haven't helped the team too much this year, so I'm ready."

Reach The Heat Index at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

Thursday's game

Coyotes at Wild

When: 5 p.m.

Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.

TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620).

Wild update: This is only the second home game of the season for the Wild and their fifth game in 15 days. Minnesota last played Sunday in Los Angeles, a 2-1 loss to the Kings. The team's 1.00 goals-against average is tops in the NHL, and goalie Darcy Kuemper has a 0.67 goals-against average and .972 save percentage. He'll get the start against the Coyotes. Up front, winger Zach Parise has two goals and two assists. After scoring eight goals in their first two games, the Wild have managed only two in their past two.