The Coyotes are being forced to rely on inexperienced defensemen Shaun Heshka and David Schlemko with the rash of injuries to their blueline corps.
"It was a solid first game," coach Dave Tippett said regarding Heshka's NHL debut on Saturday. "He was thrown into a tough situation. We had three young players in there (including Keith Yandle), but I thought he did well, got his feet under him, now he'll know what to expect the next one." Phoenix is playing without valuable rearguards Zbynek Michalek (lower body) and Ed Jovanovski (lower body). They have also been without the services of veteran Kurt Sauer (upper body) since the opening game of the year. Source: Arizona Republic/Phoenix Gazette
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