• Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Senators

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Senators

  • Senators rally past Coyotes for overtime win

    Senators rally past Coyotes for overtime win

  • Coyotes winger Radim Vrbata reaches 1,000-game milestone

    Coyotes winger Radim Vrbata reaches 1,000-game milestone

  • Arizona Coyotes Foundation Golf Tournament 2017

    Arizona Coyotes Foundation Golf Tournament 2017

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Hurricanes

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Hurricanes

  • Hurricanes rally past Coyotes with late third-period goal

    Hurricanes rally past Coyotes with late third-period goal

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Hurricanes

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Hurricanes

  • Coyotes react to road win over Hurricanes

    Coyotes react to road win over Hurricanes

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Sabres

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Sabres

  • Coyotes react to their 6-3 loss to the Sabres

    Coyotes react to their 6-3 loss to the Sabres

  • Radim Vrbata, Shane Doan remain with Coyotes after NHL trade deadline

    Radim Vrbata, Shane Doan remain with Coyotes after NHL trade deadline

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Bruins

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Bruins

  • Coyotes react to Burmistrov hit in loss to Bruins

    Coyotes react to Burmistrov hit in loss to Bruins

  • Shot Clock: Could they leave? Latest on Coyotes' arena situation

    Shot Clock: Could they leave? Latest on Coyotes’ arena situation

  • Coyotes react to Martin Hanzal trade

    Coyotes react to Martin Hanzal trade

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Sabres

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Sabres

  • Coyotes rally past Sabres in third period

    Coyotes rally past Sabres in third period

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Stars

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Stars

  • Stars rally past Coyotes for 5-2 win

    Stars rally past Coyotes for 5-2 win

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Blackhawks

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Blackhawks

  • Coyotes react to 6-3 loss to Blackhawks

    Coyotes react to 6-3 loss to Blackhawks

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Ducks

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Ducks

  • Coyotes hold off Ducks for 3-2 win

    Coyotes hold off Ducks for 3-2 win

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Sharks

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Sharks

  • Coyotes react to 4-1 loss to Sharks

    Coyotes react to 4-1 loss to Sharks

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Kings

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Kings

  • Arizona Coyotes hold off Los Angeles Kings in third for 5-3 win

    Arizona Coyotes hold off Los Angeles Kings in third for 5-3 win

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Oilers

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Oilers

  • Oilers overwhelm Coyotes 5-2

    Oilers overwhelm Coyotes 5-2

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Flames

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Flames

  • Coyotes break out in win over Flames

    Coyotes break out in win over Flames

  • Sarah McLellan's plus-minus against the Penguins

    Sarah McLellan’s plus-minus against the Penguins

  • Coyotes react to overtime win over the Penguins

    Coyotes react to overtime win over the Penguins

  • Sidney Crosby closing in on 1,000 career points

    Sidney Crosby closing in on 1,000 career points

  • Hockey phenom from UAE takes the ice with the Capitals

    Hockey phenom from UAE takes the ice with the Capitals

  • Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald skates for the first time with Shane Doan

    Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald skates for the first time with Shane Doan

  • Coyotes bring their dads on the road to San Jose

    Coyotes bring their dads on the road to San Jose

  • Coyotes goalie Mike Smith on memorable All-Star Game experience

    Coyotes goalie Mike Smith on memorable All-Star Game experience

  • Coyotes captain Shane Doan not ruling out trade possibility

    Coyotes captain Shane Doan not ruling out trade possibility

It’s been almost three weeks – five starts – since Coyotes goalie Mike Smith has celebrated a win, but he hasn’t been playing like he’s stuck in a rut.

Nor does he feel he is.

“I’m out of the funk,” he said.

The drought started when Smith tied a season-high when he gave up six to the Blackhawks Feb. 23. He also wasn’t sharp in his next appearance, getting tagged for four goals on 14 shots by the Bruins through two periods before he was pulled.

But since then, he’s been steady – even if the results haven’t indicated as much.

And this late-season rebound puts Smith in position to accomplish an important goal during the remaining four weeks of the schedule: embarking on the offseason feeling confident about his play.

“I think it’s been one of my more consistent years that I’ve had probably since the first year I got here,” he said. “I just want to continue that throughout the course of the season, continue to build on that game-in, game-out (and) just be solid back there for the group and go into the summer feeling like I was solid all the way through the season. There’s going to be games where it’s not going to go your way but for the most part, I’ve tried to limit those this year. I want to finish that way.”

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Smith was critical of his performance after that loss in Boston last week, saying he was in “a little funk” and needed to use practice time to reset after he had surrendered 10 goals on just 43 shots in two games.

“Wasn’t seeing it. Wasn’t feeling it,” he said. “Just felt a little off. It’s going to happen through the course of the season. You try not to let it go on for very long, which I think I’ve done a fairly good job of this year. So I think just trying to work on some things in practice that make you back to being comfortable and when you get in the game, try to simplify a little bit and not worry about anything other than doing your job.”

Despite giving up four goals March 2 in a 6-3 loss to the Sabres, the margin of defeat very well could have been much wider if not for Smith – who battled to keep the Coyotes close. He was on-point again last Sunday against the Hurricanes with the deficit much slimmer (2-1).

And he was solid in the 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators on Thursday.

The game-tying goal came off a scramble in front that had the puck bounce out to a wide-open Erik Karlsson at the back post for an easy shot. In overtime, the Senators broke out for a 2-on-0 rush with Karlsson completing Ottawa’s comeback when he kept the shot – going glove-side on Smith.

“I think there was a time in my career every goal I was mad at,” he said. “I’ve learned how to understand which ones I should have had and not — and kind of try to not let those ones that are uncontrollable affect the way you’re feeling or playing.”

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That foresight has come during his time in Arizona; Smith continues to work with a sports psychologist to help with the mental side of the position but hasn’t relied on her as much this season.

“I feel like I’ve had a pretty good handle on what I’ve been doing,” he said.

Recognizing what he can and can’t control hasn’t sapped his competitiveness but has allowed him to evaluate his performance amid a tough season for the team.

“I want to win every game I play in,” he said. “But in reality and where we’re at as a group, that’s going to be hard. Try to not let that affect you mentally and try to not let that affect the way you play.”

This season hasn’t been without its adversity for Smith, who missed about a month early with an MCL sprain in his left knee. At 16-20-7 and with a .913 save percentage and 2.98 goals-against average, his numbers are well below the league leaders but he’s been one of the more consistent contributors on the Coyotes.

And in that sense, Smith has already achieved another ambition for this season – to not be the reason the team has struggled.

“I think there has been those instances in the past that goaltending has been a question,” Smith said. “(Goalie coach Jon Elkin and I) didn’t want to have that excuse this year. We wanted to take care of our job, and we focused on that from the start of the summer last year to the start of camp that we were coming in with our work boots on and controlling things that we can control and putting the work in when the work’s needed and doing the things that it takes as consistently as possible throughout the course of the season. I felt like I’ve done that so far. I want to end it on a good note.”

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Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

Saturday’s game

Devils at Coyotes

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Gila River Arena.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Arizona-Plus/KTAR-AM (620).

Coyotes update: Center Alexander Burmistrov, who’s missed the past four games with an upper-body injury that looks like a concussion, skated for the first time Friday since getting hurt, but still isn’t ready to return. “I think it was more just getting on the ice, getting skates back on,” coach Dave Tippett said. “I don’t think he’s close.” 

Devils update: This is the last stop on a three-game road trip for the Devils, who have lost both games so far. They were blanked 2-0 by the Blue Jackets Tuesday and then fell 3-2 to the Avalanche Thursday. Overall, New Jersey has dropped nine straight. It hasn’t won since Feb. 18 against the Islanders, a 3-2 decision. The team is 12-17-6 on the road. Winger Taylor Hall has a team-high 43 points, while winger Kyle Palmieri leads the group in goals with 20.