PHOENIX -- Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith left Wednesday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets midway through the first period with what the team called a lower-body injury.
Smith did not return to the game, a 5-1 Phoenix victory. But the team termed the injury minor and said after the game that Smith will make the trip to San Jose for Thursday's game against the Sharks. He's listed as day-to-day, but the Coyotes will bring up Chad Johnson from Portland of the AHL as an emergency call-up.
Smith, who hurt himself during warmups, left at the 11-minute mark of a scoreless game, skating to the bench on his own during a TV timeout. He was replaced by backup Jason LaBarbera, who finished with 21 saves after Smith stopped the four shots he faced before leaving.
"Lower body. Day-to-day. Not sure where he'll be tomorrow, so we'll have a call-up," coach Dave Tippett said. "The trainers came to me after warmup and said Smitty is a little tight, you might want to keep an eye on him. And 'a little tight' turned into 'can't play.'"
Smith was not available to the media after the game, but LaBarbera said he knew Smith had "done a little something" in warmups and had already started to prepare himself to play in the game when Smith decided he'd had enough.
"I just tried to get myself as ready as possible," LaBarbera said. "I knew he was hurting, so I was watching him and I figured I would play at some point."
Smith had allowed 10 goals in weekend losses to the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks.
The Coyotes were already without center Martin Hanzal and defenseman Rostislav Klesla, who missed the game with lower-body injuries.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.