Stronso

Bierk's injury could get Boucher ice time









Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 12, 2003 12:00 AM




The team placed backup goalie Zac Bierk on the injured list Tuesday with a strained hip flexor, and he will miss at least Thursday night's game against visiting Colorado and Friday's game in Dallas.

The injury occurred during the first period of Sunday's overtime loss in Anaheim. Bierk is listed as day to day. Players must be inactive for at least seven days once placed on the injured list.

With Bierk temporarily out, Brian Boucher may finally see his first action in a month. He hasn't played since making his season debut on Oct. 16 at Tampa Bay, but with back-to-back games coming up, Boucher most likely will start either Thursday or Friday.

"Brian looked sharp in practice, and he'll be ready," coach Bobby Francis said. "The Dallas game might be a possibility."



Rookie mistake


Seconds after the team finished practice at the Alltel Ice Den in Scottsdale, defensemen David Tanabe and Matthew Spiller engaged in a mock fistfight, throwing - but pulling - several punches to each other's heads.

Unfortunately, Tanabe ducked at one and Spiller, a 6-foot-5 rookie, caught him flush under the right eye with a hard right. Tanabe's cheek was badly cut, and his eye was beginning to bruise and swell shut.

"We were just kind of messing around. I feel bad, though," Spiller said.



The hair line


The only thing missing on the newly constructed line of left wing Tyson Nash, center Krys Kolanos and right wing Landon Wilson is Wilson's lack of long, flowing locks.

Nash and Kolanos have let their hair grow well below the backs of their helmets. Wilson's is short and cropped and, well, receding.

"Once we started stringing some wins together here, I think I'm going to show up with a big wig on my head, just to fit in," Wilson said. "Rogaine doesn't work on me."



Slap shots


Francis said there is a good chance enforcer Andrei Nazarov, a healthy scratch in 12 of the first 14 games, would be back in the lineup Thursday against the Avalanche.

"We've got to get Naz into some games here. It's time," Francis said.


•_In the span of just two weeks, left wing Daniel Cleary went from being a routine scratch, to being placed on waivers, to now having joined Shane Doan and Daymond Langkow on one of the Coyotes' top lines.

"Hockey's a game that changes very quickly, and I've learned that over the years," Cleary said.

"I've faced adversity before, and it's just made me more mentally strong over the course of my career."

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