{coyotes} PREDATORS (41-19-7) at COYOTES (21-38-7)

Sunday 8 March 2015

{coyotes} PREDATORS (41-19-7) at COYOTES (21-38-7)

Monday, March 9, 2015

10:00 PM ET

PREDATORS (41-19-7) at COYOTES (21-38-7)

TV: FS-TN, FS-A PLUS

Season series: Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis and forward James Neal each have two goals over two wins against the Arizona Coyotes.

Predators team scope: In February, the Predators owned the top mark in the NHL and had the inside track for home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A six-game losing streak, however, has dropped Nashville behind the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens in the League standings, while narrowing its lead over the St. Louis Blues in the Central Division to two points. "It's very frustrating," Ellis said after the Predators' 3-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. "It took us a while to lose just two in a row, and now we're six in the hole." Nashville is opening a four-game road trip in Arizona.

Coyotes team scope: Coyotes players were given Sunday off after playing three games in five days to open their current six-game homestand. Arizona, which has lost nine of its past 10 games, has not won in regulation during the homestand, with its one win coming in a shootout against the Vancouver Canucks this past Thursday. The Coyotes lost 2-0 to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday despite a 34-save outing by goalie Mike Smith. "It's been a couple games in a row that [Smith has] played well," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "But we couldn't buy some of the chances we had. Some of our best chances, we missed the net." Arizona currently has the second-fewest points in the Western Conference.

Team Stats