Wild at Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes look to snap a season-high four-game losing streak and even their season series with the Minnesota Wild when the clubs meet at Gila River Arena on Saturday. Arizona would be wise to shore up its short-handed troubles as it has yielded seven power-play goals over the last six contests. "It's one thing to take penalties. When you can't kill 'em off, that's the second part," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said after the team dropped a 5-1 decision to Nashville on Thursday to fall to 1-6-1 in its last eight games.
Minnesota isn't setting the world on fire with its production on the power play, converting on just 10-of-89 chances (11.2 percent) while posting a woeful 1-for-44 effort on the road. The Wild failed on two man-advantage opportunities versus San Jose in their 2-1 setback on Thursday. Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves in that contest but stopped all 26 shots he faced for his third shutout in a 2-0 victory over Arizona on Oct. 23.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Arizona
ABOUT THE WILD (15-11-1): Coach Mike Yeo hasn't been too pleased with the team's level of inconsistency during its 4-4-1 stretch and promptly laid into his charges with some colorful language prior to Friday's practice. Zach Parise admitted to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he was glad Yeo addressed his team's play but used some more printable terms. "We've been very mediocre for a long time," Parise said. "We're not playing with any excitement. It's just been flat."
ABOUT THE COYOTES (10-16-3): Arizona is mired in a franchise-worst eight-game home winless streak (0-6-2) since posting a 3-2 victory over Toronto on Nov. 4. Antoine Vermette's one-timer for a power-play goal opened the scoring on Thursday, but it also signaled the end of the positives for the Coyotes. Keith Yandle set up the tally to move into a tie with Randy Carlyle for fourth place on the franchise's all-time assists list for defensemen with 226.
OVERTIME
1. Minnesota C Charlie Coyle is mired in a 22-game goalless drought.
2. Arizona recalled C Alex Bolduc from Portland of the American Hockey League and assigned LW Jordan Martinook to the Pirates.
3. Wild D Marco Scandella will serve the final contest of his two-game suspension for his hit to the head of New York Islanders C Brock Nelson.