GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Exactly what has been ailing Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan for the last week hasn't been revealed. But coach Dave Tippett said Thursday the illness isn't simply a short-term concern and could keep Phoenix's leading goal-scorer out of the lineup for an extended period.
Doan was not on the ice Thursday morning and will miss his third straight game when the Coyotes host the New York Islanders. Doan has 12 goals and 23 points in 27 games and leaves a big hole in the Coyotes lineup, in production and leadership.
"He's still under the weather and he's still not going to be available for the foreseeable future," Tippett said. "He's still getting some tests done, so hopefully it's not long, long-term."
Doan has been exceptionally durable during his career. Prior to this week, the 37-year-old forward had missed 13 games since the 2008-09 season and has played 79 or more games 10 times in his career.
The prior time the Islanders visited Jobing.com Arena, on Jan. 7, 2012, Doan scored the lone hat trick of his 1,273-game NHL career and put the third goal over the line with less than a second remaining in a 5-1 Coyotes win.
Phoenix will have No. 1 goalie Mike Smith back Thursday. Smith sat out Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche with the flu and watched backup Thomas Greiss play very well in a 3-1 win. That victory capped a 2-1-1 road trip for the Coyotes.
Greiss is 4-2-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average in eight appearances.
The Islanders snapped a 10-game winless streak with a 3-2 shootout win against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Forward Ryan Strome, their No.1 draft pick in 2011 who leads the American Hockey League in scoring with 33 points, was recalled Tuesday but will not be in the lineup Thursday.
The Coyotes will be without forward Lauri Korpikoski, who has been out since Nov. 16 with an upper-body injury, and defenseman Derek Morris, who remains out due to a family issue.
ISLANDERS
Thomas Vanek - John Tavares - Kyle Okposo
Josh Bailey - Frans Nielsen - Colin McDonald
Michael Grabner - Brock Nelson - Cal Clutterbuck
Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Eric Boulton
Calvin de Haan - Travis Hamonic
Thomas Hickey - Andrew MacDonald
Scratched: Matt Carkner, Peter Regin, Ryan Strome
Injured: Radek Martinek (back), Lubomir Visnovsky (concussion)
COYOTES
Tim Kennedy – Martin Hanzal – Radim Vrbata
Kyle Chipchura – Antoine Vermette – Mikkel Boedker
Rob Klinkhammer – Mike Ribeiro – David Moss
Paul Bissonnette – Jeff Halpern – Jordan Szwarz
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Zbynek Michalek
David Schlemko – Michael Stone
Scratched: Gilbert Brule, David Rundblad
Injured: Shane Doan (illness), Lauri Korpikoski (upper body) Derek Morris (personal)