Coyotes at Red Wings
THE STORY: Most teams in a slump would rather not have to face the Red Wings in Detroit. In fact, just about any team in the NHL would rather not have to face the Red Wings in Detroit. Yet, that's what the Phoenix Coyotes have to deal with as they look to bust an extended slump with a game at Joe Louis Arena. The Coyotes come in having won just twice in their last nine games, a post-holiday skid that has dropped the club into 11th place in the jammed Western Conference. Thursday represents a difficult road back to the win column as Phoenix tangles with a Detroit team that has just two regulation losses in 18 home games so far this season. The Red Wings are coming off a 2-2-0 road trip that concluded with an ugly 5-1 loss to the New York Islanders. Detroit is just 5-5-0 in its last 10, but eight of those games were played on the road. With Thursday kicking off a three-game homestand, the Red Wings have a golden opportunity to improve their current fifth-place standing in the conference.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Detroit
ABOUT THE COYOTES (20-17-6): Aside from a five-goal outburst in an impressive home win over the New York Rangers on Saturday, goals have been hard to come by for the Coyotes. They've scored just twice in their last three road games, and rank 24th in the NHL in total offense as teams roll past the halfway point of the season. The power play has been abysmal, ranking 29th with a 13.1-percent success rate. The Coyotes have just two power-play goals in their last nine games.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (26-15-1): Just how dominant has Detroit been in its own digs? The Red Wings are tied for third in the NHL in home goals with Ottawa (73) even though they've played at least five fewer games than the two teams ahead of them (Boston and Chicago). They've surrendered a league-low 32 goals in their own building, giving them a league-best goal differential of plus-41 at the Joe. By comparison, Detroit is a minus-six through 24 road games.
OVERTIME:
1. The Red Wings have won the last five games in the series, outscoring the Coyotes 23-12 in the process.
2. Detroit is 3-1 in extra-time games this season; the Coyotes are 3-6.
3. Forward Gilbert Brule may make his Coyotes debut Thursday. Brule was plucked off re-entry waivers from the Edmonton Oilers earlier this week.