Coyotes at Canucks
A pair of teams clinging to flickering postseason hopes will square off Wednesday night when the skidding Arizona Coyotes continue their four-game road trip with a visit to the slumping Vancouver Canucks. The Pacific Division rivals are tied for 10th place in the Western Conference and sit 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff slot.
The Canucks have lost four of their last five following a 5-1 defeat at Los Angeles and hope to change their fortunes in the opener of a four-game homestand. However, Vancouver also must reverse a troubling trend that has seen the team win only twice in its last 11 games at Rogers Arena. The Coyotes are on the verge of tying a dubious record, having dropped a franchise record-tying nine consecutive games on the road. "When you're not getting rewarded for your effort that's where the little bit of frustration comes in," Arizona coach Dave Tippett said.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN-Plus Arizona, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (28-32-6): Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona's leading scorer with a career-high 49 points, was forced to exit Monday's 3-1 loss at Colorado due to an upper-body injury that also kept him from practicing on Tuesday. Although Ekman-Larsson was feeling better Tuesday, according to Tippett, he's listed as day-to-day, while center Kyle Chipchura flew to Vancouver to join his teammates after being with his wife for the birth of their first child. The Coyotes' lone tally Monday came courtesy of center Boyd Gordon, who snapped a 73-game goal-scoring drought.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (25-28-12): Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin, who suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's matchup at San Jose, will sit out his second consecutive game along with defenseman Chris Tanev, who also sustained an upper-body injury against the Sharks. Goaltender Ryan Miller owns the Coyotes with a 9-1-0 career mark and sparkling 1.58 goals-against average, but he has been singed for 10 goals during a three-start losing streak. "It's frustrating," Miller said after surrendering four goals in the loss at Los Angeles. "I needed to be better.”
OVERTIME
1. Canucks leading scorer Daniel Sedin has three goals in his last five games.
2. Coyotes captain Shane Doan will appear in his 1,452nd game to move past Teemu Selanne for sole possession of 23rd place on the all-time list.
3. The teams have played three one-goal decisions this season, with Vancouver prevailing twice - both on the road.