Oilers at Coyotes
THE STORY: The Edmonton Oilers have slipped perilously close to the .500 mark, but will have an important member of the team back in the lineup on Thursday as they visit the Phoenix Coyotes. Forward Taylor Hall is expected to return after missing the previous seven games with a shoulder injury. The Oilers will be happy to have him back after going 2-4-1 in his absence to slip into 10th place in the Western Conference, squandering a red-hot start to the season. Edmonton is coming off a familar result - a 3-0 loss to the Flames, Calgary's 17th win in the past 19 meetings between the Alberta rivals. Edmonton likely won't get much sympathy from a Coyotes club that has looked listless during a three-game losing skid. Phoenix has scored just four times during the cold spell, but has had its way with Edmonton in recent encounters.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, Rogers Sportsnet Edmonton, Fox Sports Arizona
ABOUT THE OILERS (14-13-3): Hall should provide a much-needed boost to an Edmonton power play that has fizzled without him. After being above 20 percent efficiency for nearly the entire season, the Oilers went just 4-for-28 with Hall on the sidelines to slip to 19.8 for the season. His presence gives Edmonton a potent first unit in Hall, Jordan Eberle and top overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and allows the club to employ Ryan Smyth on the second power-play unit.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (15-12-3): Phoenix would gladly take Edmonton's power play numbers even at the worst of times. The Coyotes are tied with the St. Louis Blues for the league's worst man-advantage efficiency at 10.9 percent. The club has the fewest power-play goals (10), and has drawn the fewest opportunities in the league, as well (92). Struggles with the man advantage are a regular occurrence for the Coyotes, who have finished in the bottom-10 the past three seasons.
OVERTIME:
1. Phoenix has won seven of the last eight meetings between the clubs, including a 4-2 home triumph back on Nov. 5.
2. Hall will be looking to improve his subpar numbers away from Edmonton. The 20-year-old has just one goal and five assists in 12 road games this season.
3. The Coyotes are 13-1-3 when they score first - and 2-10-0 when they don't.