Kings at Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes began their seven-game homestand with such promise before a sputtering offense has sent the team spiraling into a four-game skid. The Coyotes look to salvage the finale of their pronounced stretch at Gila River Arena on Saturday when they host the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings.
After recording eight goals in the first two contests, Arizona has totaled half that amount during an 0-3-1 stretch - with former King Brad Richardson's third-period tally being the only offense in a 3-1 setback to San Jose on Thursday. "(It) was a measuring-stick game," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "And we didn't have enough players measure up." Los Angeles also came up short on Thursday as its offense went limp in a 3-0 loss to Minnesota. "That was just a very poor effort," said Tyler Toffoli, who has recorded three points in three games of the series with Arizona - including an assist on Anze Kopitar's overtime goal in the Kings' 4-3 win on Dec. 26.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSN Arizona-Plus
ABOUT THE KINGS (29-14-3): Drew Doughty scored two goals and set up another in the series versus Coyotes, including one of each in the last meeting. Fellow defenseman Jake Muzzin saw his eight-game point streak come to an end against the Wild, the longest such run by a Los Angeles blue-liner since Lubomir Visnovsky in December 2005. Jonathan Quick's 30th birthday was spoiled with a loss versus Minnesota, but the veteran looks to rebound on the road where he owns a 12-3-1 mark with two shutouts and a 2.01 goals-against average.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (22-19-5): Captain Shane Doan notched an assist for the second straight game and resides seven points shy of breaking Dale Hawerchuk's career mark. Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been held off the scoresheet in each of the last three contests after erupting for three goals and four assists in his previous four games. The defenseman has scored three times and set up another versus Los Angeles this season while Martin Hanzal had two of each.
OVERTIME
1. Arizona owns a 10-2-2 record against Pacific Division foes.
2. Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last nine games.
3. Coyotes G Louis Domingue turned aside 20 shots to suffer his second straight loss after going without a regulation setback in 10 starts.