Coyotes at Oilers
THE STORY: Locked in a five-team battle for the final two playoff spots in the tightly bunched Western Conference, the Phoenix Coyotes will be seeking a sweep of the four-game season series when they visit the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night. A scintillating 11-0-1 month of February has given way to seven losses in nine games (2-5-2) in March for Phoenix, leading to what coach Dave Tippett is calling "desperation time."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSAZ+, RSW
ABOUT THE COYOTES (35-26-11): Goaltender Mike Smith won all 11 starts last month but, like his team, has seen a marked dip in his play. Smith has allowed four goals in each of his last three starts, including Friday's 4-1 loss at Calgary, which marked Phoenix's first regulation defeat in its last 11 games (9-1-1) in Western Canada. The Coyotes are hoping that leading scorer Radim Vrbata (illness) and center Martin Hanzal are able to return to the lineup Sunday.
ABOUT THE OILERS (28-36-7): Edmonton's 3-1 win over Calgary on Friday night was dampened by the concussion suffered by Taylor Hall. The top overall pick of the 2010 draft, Hall was hurt when he slipped and was barreled into by Flames defenseman Cory Sarich. Rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a pair of goals and All-Star Jordan Eberle added a goal and two assists as the Oilers reached 63 points on the season to surpass their total from 2010-11.
OVERTIME:
1. The Coyotes, who have never swept the Oilers, are seeking their fifth straight win against Edmonton.
2. Nugent-Hopkins has five goals and five assists in 11 games since returning from injury.
3. Tippett needs one win to reach 400 for his career.