Coyotes at Red Wings
The surging Detroit Red Wings hope to make it much easier on themselves as they go for a fourth straight victory Tuesday night when the improving Arizona Coyotes pay a visit. The Red Wings have won each of their last three games after regulation - two in shootouts - and own six victories in the past seven outings overall following a rough start to the season when they dropped nine of 10 contests (1-7-2).
Detroit gave up 52 shots against Carolina on Saturday and trailed by two goals entering the third period before Anthony Mantha scored twice to tie it and Frans Nielsen was the only player to convert in the shootout. “We’re definitely not playing our best hockey right now but we are finding ways,” Nielsen told reporters. “We’ve got to take that right now. But in the long run over 82 games, we can’t keep playing like this. We’ve got to step it up.” The Coyotes snapped out of an 0-2-1 stretch with an impressive 4-1 victory at reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington on Sunday despite being outshot 39-22 as goalie Darcy Kuemper came up big. Arizona, which has lost three straight and five of the past six to the Red Wings, started the week tied for fourth in the Pacific Division at 8-7-1 after opening last season 2-12-2 in the first 16 games.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, FS Detroit
ABOUT THE COYOTES (8-7-1): Richard Panik notched a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game of the season Sunday while fellow forward Alex Galchenyuk matched him and boasts eight points in his first nine contests this season. Center Clayton Keller recorded six of his team-leading 12 points in the past seven games while defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson registered six of his 11 in the past six contests. Kuemper struggled in his first three games after No. 1 goalie Antti Raanta (5-4-0, .929 save percentage) went down with a lower-body injury, but earned his third victory Sunday.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (7-8-2): Mantha snapped a four-game point drought with his first two-goal effort of the season Saturday after scoring just three times in 12 contests and posting a minus-12 rating in October. “He’s a goal scorer and if you give him almost anywhere inside the blue line, his wrist shot is heavy enough to beat a goalie,” Nielsen told reporters of Mantha. “He can be a difference maker every night.” Dylan Larkin leads the team with 17 points - 10 coming in the past seven contests - while fellow forward Gustav Nyquist is riding a seven-game point streak.
OVERTIME
1. Arizona F Brad Richardson, who is slated to play his 700th NHL game Tuesday, has five goals - two more than he recorded in 76 games last season.
2. Detroit F Andreas Athanasiou boasts two goals and two assists in two games since returning from an injury absence.
3. The Coyotes are 5-0-0 when being outshot this season after Washington had a 39-22 edge Sunday.