Oilers at Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes came up small in one of their biggest games of the season and now face an uphill battle to make the playoffs as they prepare to host the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night. Phoenix has scored only two goals during a three-game winless drought (0-2-1), including a 4-0 shutout at Los Angeles on Wednesday night in which it mustered a season-low 17 shots. The Coyotes remain tied with the Dallas Stars for the final wild-card slot in the Western Conference.
Phoenix has won five straight against Edmonton, including all four matchups this season, and cannot afford a misstep if it hopes to overtake the Stars, who have a game in hand. "We have five games left. We are still not in the playoffs right now," Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal said. "We all know how important these points are. We have to make sure we win the rest and get in." The Oilers have lost six of seven after squandering third-period leads at Pacific Division heavyweights San Jose and Anaheim.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, RSNE, RSW (Edmonton), FSN Arizona
ABOUT THE OILERS (26-42-9): Edmonton has play well in the first two legs of its three-game road trip, rallying from a two-goal deficit in San Jose before allowing a pair of tallies in the final 9 1/2 minutes and holding a 2-0 lead early in the third period at Anaheim before surrendering three goals. "It's heartbreaking," Oilers coach Dallas Eakins said following the 3-2 loss to the Ducks. "It's games like these that you want your players to feel the reward of the points." Jordan Eberle has five goals in his last seven games to tie Taylor Hall and David Perron for the team lead with 26.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (36-28-13): A quick scan of Phoenix's statistics reveals why the club is mired in an offensive funk. Aside from Mikkel Boedker, who has three goals and seven points in his last nine games, five of the other top six scorers - defenseman Keith Yankle, Radim Vrbata, Mike Ribeiro, captain Shane Doan and Antoine Vermette - have combined for a single goal over the past six games. That's a recipe for disaster, particularly with the Coyotes forced to rely on backup goaltender Thomas Greiss, who will make his sixth consecutive start in place of an injured Mike Smith.
OVERTIME
1. The Coyotes have had no problem scoring against Edmonton, piling up 19 goals in the four meetings this season.
2. Oilers leading scorer Taylor Hall has 12 points in 11 games against Phoenix.
3. Greiss is 2-0-1 with three goals allowed in three appearances versus Edmonton.