What was confirmed by Craig Morgan of Today's Slapshot, Anders Lindback will more than likely require surgery to repair the injury.
Who's Playing Backup Goalie?
The Arizona Coyotes had to hustle to get a back-up goalie for last nights' contest, since Lindback suffered the injury during warm-ups. They called on former ASU club goalie Nathan Schoenfeld, son of former Coyotes Head Coach Jim Schoenfeld. He was signed to a one-day amateur tryout contract to fulfill the requirement that every team must have a backup goalie for each game.
This situation really put some pressure on management to decide how to fill the spot. They decided to bring young Niklas Treutle up from the Springfield Falcons in the AHL to fill the vacancy.
Treutle, 24 has a 9-11-5 record, with a .909 save percentage, and a 2.91 goals against average in 26 games.
Reviewing What Happened
So, let's review. The Coyotes lost starting goalie Mike Smith (which may not have been a bad thing), then called up Louis Domingue to fill in. He has done an admirable job, but Smith is not going to be ready to play until early March, at best. Treutle is an adequate backup, and if he gets some playing time at the NHL level it will only reinforce the skill level the team has in the net.
But, at this time of year patience to develop an up and coming goaltender may not be a priority.
You see, the playoffs are nearing and the team needs wins. Even though they have exceeded last season's point total of 56 points in 56 games, they are in a wild card dog fight to pass Colorado and Nashville for the last wild card slot.
The Lindback Report Card
To evaluate Anders Lindback's year is to say he was below par in all areas. When Smith went down with his core muscle injury, Anders thought he'd have an opportunity to show the team what he could do.
It just didn't work out that way. The numbers don't lie. A 5-7-1 record, with a .894 save percentage, and a 3.11 goals against average did not show the team he was the answer. Lindback signed a one-year $875,000 contract with the team. With his injury, he more than likely will not be back with the Coyotes next season.
That scenario leaves some additional decisions the teams' management will need to address. Does GM Don Maloney look to bring in a more established NHL goalie in case Treutle doesn't fill the bill? Or, will they just decide to wait until Smith returns to evaluate their options?
The Pressure is on Louis
One thing is certain. Now starter Louis Domingue will need to take the reins and ride the team to a playoff berth. He's shown he's capable of doing just that.
And, at this point what else can he do? The team has played well in front of him, and the last game showed that the Coyotes can display some awesome firepower (even against the pitiful Canadians).
This team has shown a never-give-up attitude this season, so why not show the league that they are not throwing in the towel...just yet.