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Host, TSN The Reporters with Dave Hodge

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“Thumbs up” to Shane Doan, who has played 20 NHL seasons for three teams, but really, for just one. He started out in 1995 as a first-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets. The next year, he and they were in Phoenix and last season, the team became known as the Arizona Coyotes.

The franchise saw another change this week, it occurred in the record book when Doan became the all-time points leader, bumping Dale Hawerchuk to second spot. Doan already held the marks for most goals, most seasons and most games. He has long been the face of a team that has always needed more faces in the crowd, Arizona’s struggles make it all too easy to forget Doan’s accomplishments, nobody has tried harder with so little to show for it.

In just one of his 20 seasons have the Jets/Coyotes been playoff winners. That happened twice with 2012 first and second-round series victories over Chicago and Nashville. Eleven other times, Doan and his teammates missed the playoffs and eight times they were first-round losers.

An Arizona playoff appearance this season is possible, but as with everything else in the franchise’s outlook, success does not seem likely. Last night’s 4-1 loss in San Jose left the Coyotes five points away from a playoff berth.

It’s fair to say almost everyone who has played with Shane Doan, and many who have played against him, even those who do so now if they’re not competing directly against Arizona for a playoff spot, hope Doan’s efforts are rewarded with another post-season trip. He doesn’t need it to prove anything, but he deserves it.

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In a similar vein, “thumbs up” to Cory Schneider, the New Jersey Devils’ goalie who should get Vezina Trophy consideration and even some Hart Trophy votes, especially if the Devils find their way into the playoffs.

Yesterday showed Schneider at his typical best again. New Jersey was outshot by Philadelphia 29-12 in the second and third periods, and 32-24 overall, but prevailed 2-1 on Adam Henrique’s overtime goal.

The Devils couldn’t hope to succeed without their goalie being their best player. It was that way with Martin Brodeur and, as if Lou Lamoriello never left, it’s the same now. Lou’s marks are all over Schneider’s time in Jersey, of course, thanks to the 2013 trade that took the then-27-year-old Schneider out of Vancouver’s goaltending soap opera and anointed him the successor to Brodeur.

Like Doan, Schneider deserves more playoff time. His post-season record shows just one win in five decisions.

Yesterday’s win in Philly lifted the Devils into a tie with Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card berth. The Penguins have two games in hand, and they have Sidney Crosby, and no matter who else is involved in an Eastern playoff race, the New Jersey Devils will be nobody’s favourites.

Cory Schneider is one reason, and maybe the only one, to differ with that assessment.