Jets at Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes attempt to maintain their hold on a postseason berth when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. Phoenix resides in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Dallas - which has one game in hand. The Coyotes had their three-game point streak halted Saturday as they dropped a 3-1 home decision to Minnesota and sit five points behind the Wild.
Winnipeg's slim playoff hopes took a major hit Monday as the club squandered a four-goal lead and suffered a 5-4 overtime loss at Anaheim. By failing to secure two points, the Jets trail Phoenix by eight with just six games remaining and have played one more contest. Winnipeg looks to complete a sweep of the three-game season series after posting a pair of victories at home.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN (Winnipeg), FSN Plus Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE JETS (33-33-10): Winnipeg fell to 1-2-1 on its five-game road trip and has won only three of its last 14 overall contests (3-7-4). Twelve different players notched a point in Monday's defeat - including Ondrej Pavelec, who recorded his third assist of the season. The 26-year-old Czech has allowed eight goals on 52 shots in just over four periods since returning from a six-game absence due to a lower-body injury.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (36-27-12): Thomas Greiss is expected to make his fourth consecutive start in place of Mike Smith (lower body), who skated Monday but isn't slated to be re-evaluated until later in the week. The 28-year-old Greiss has gone 2-1-0 in Smith's absence, allowing two goals in each contest. Prior to Saturday's setback, Phoenix had gone 7-2-1 in its previous 10 games - with both regulation losses coming against league-leading Boston.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg RW Blake Wheeler extended his goal-scoring streak to three games Monday with a power-play tally. It was his 64th point of the season, matching his career high set in 2011-12.
2. Jets C Bryan Little has collected two goals and five assists during his six-game point streak.
3. The Coyotes have dropped two straight at home following a four-game winning streak.