{coyotes} COYOTES (23-44-8) at PENGUINS (40-23-11)

Friday 27 March 2015

{coyotes} COYOTES (23-44-8) at PENGUINS (40-23-11)

Jennifer Lopez / Jennifer Love Hewitt / Johnny Depp

Saturday, March 28, 2015

1:00 PM ET

COYOTES (23-44-8) at PENGUINS (40-23-11)

TV: FS-A, ROOT

Season series: The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 last Saturday at Gila River Arena. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh. Tobias Rieder scored for Arizona.

Coyotes team scope: Arizona will try to go 3-0-0 on its three-game road trip, having defeated the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday and Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. "When you win, you are in a better mood. …To finish the trip off with a win would certainly be good," coach Dave Tippett told the Coyotes website. They haven't won three straight since Dec. 23-29. Goalie Mike Smith will make his fifth straight start; he has allowed 11 goals in four games. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has four goals and seven points in five games.

Penguins team scope: Forward Evgeni Malkin has missed six games with a lower-body injury but could play for the first time since March 14. "If there's nothing bad [Friday night], if I don't feel pain [or soreness], come back in the morning [Saturday] and we'll see. I think it's a great chance [I will] play," he told the Penguins website. They have lost five of those six games (1-4-1) but remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division, one point ahead of the Washington Capitals and two points behind the second-place New York Islanders. The win was against the Coyotes. Malkin, who is second on the Penguins with 68 points in 63 games, would bolster an offense that has scored nine goals in seven games. Forward Patric Hornqvist (undisclosed injury) who has missed five games, said he is day-to-day. "I did all the drills, so we'll see what happens [Friday] and then we have a decision [Saturday] and see if I'm playing or not," Hornqvist said. "One day at a time and then go from there." Goalie Thomas Greiss will play, with Marc-Andre Fleury to play against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday.

Team Stats