Domingue prepared to step in for Smith

No. 1 goalie still day-to-day with left leg injury

MONTREAL – The Coyotes had two goalies on the ice for practice Wednesday in Montreal, but neither was Mike Smith.

And it remains unclear when the team’s No. 1 netminder will be able to get back between the pipes.

In only the second game of the season, Smith suffered what looks like a left knee injury in the third period of Tuesday’s 7-4 loss to the Senators after getting his left leg tangled underneath his body as he turned to reach for a puck that skirted through the crease. The 34-year-old grabbed his left leg and appeared to be putting little weight, if any, on his left skate as he was helped off the ice.

Smith underwent tests Wednesday with the team calling him day-to-day with a lowerbody injury.

It’s too early to tell if Smith will stay with the team on the road or return to the Valley but he was here at Bell Centre while the Coyotes prepped for their Thursday matchup with the Canadiens, watching some of practice from the tunnel that leads office. And during media availability, Smith walked through the dressing room with a brace under his jeans on his left knee.

“We’re waiting for the results of those (tests),” coach Dave Tippett said. “But he’s up around, moving, so it’s a positive sign. But we’ll wait until we get the tests back.”

This instability in the crease isn’t new to the Coyotes; Smith was sidelined for approximately three months last season after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle injury. He missed the final 10 games of the 2013-14 campaign with an MCL sprain to his right knee after an opposing player fell on top of him. And he battled groin injuries in 2013 and during the 201112 season. He also dealt