COYOTES (1-5-0) at FLYERS (3-3-1)
7 p.m. ET; CSN-PH, FS-A, NHL.TV
Coyotes team scope
The Arizona Coyotes will try to end their six-game road trip by ending a five-game losing streak (0-5-0). They haven't won since beating the Philadelphia Flyers in their season opener Oct. 15 at Gila River Arena. "We need a win for sure," coach Dave Tippett said. "We feel like the last three games we've played well enough to get points, but haven't found anything. I think it would certainly lift spirits to be able to end the trip with a win." One area of the game Arizona can focus on is shot suppression; the Coyotes have allowed a League-high 34.5 shots per game, which has led to them allowing a League-high 4.33 goals per game. But another focus is on limiting the ups and downs in each game. "I think when there's breakdowns we tend to fall apart," defenseman Connor Murphy said. "We've got to know to keep our composure and get back to doing things that we know how to do, whether it's shrinking defensively or getting into making simple plays, chipping it and moving forward and beating their [defensemen]. Things like that, that are staples of our game that haven't been there in these losses. That'll be a big test."
Flyers team scope
Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux leads the League with eight assists and has at least a point in six straight games, but isn't happy with his play. His minus-5 stands out to him as an area for improvement. "I think the way I've played defensively could be better," Giroux said. "Offensively, be a bit more creative and just relax a little bit more out there. When guys are relaxed they're more creative, they enjoy the game a bit more. I need to have fun more." To help make that happen, Giroux will skate with rookie left wing Travis Konecny and right wing Jakub Voracek. That line was put together during the third period of Philadelphia's 4-3 shootout win against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. "They've been playing some good hockey," Giroux said. "They've been having a lot of scoring chances. I think it's going to be important to find good chemistry in the first period." Coach Dave Hakstol said he agrees with Giroux's self-evaluation but isn't worried about his captain's play. "I think he'll be fine because he's a strong-willed player," Hakstol said. "I liked his game and I liked their line's game in the third period. You wipe the slate clean and you keep moving forward. It's a long year. It's a grind. That's one of the abilities you have to have, to wipe that slate clean and move forward. Build off the positives we did [Tuesday]."
Coyotes projected lineup
Max Domi -- Martin Hanzal -- Radim Vrbata
Jamie McGinn -- Jordan Martinook -- Anthony Duclair
Tobias Rieder -- Brad Richardson -- Shane Doan
Laurent Dauphin -- Radek Dvorak -- Ryan White
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Connor Murphy
Alex Goligoski -- Michael Stone
Scratched: Dylan Strome, Lawson Crouse, Kevin Connauton
Injured: Mike Smith (lower body)
Flyers projected lineup
Travis Konecny -- Claude Giroux -- Jakub Voracek
Matt Read -- Sean Couturier -- Wayne Simmonds
Brayden Schenn -- Nick Cousins -- Dale Weise
Chris VandeVelde -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare -- Roman Lyubimov
Andrew MacDonald -- Shayne Gostisbehere
Ivan Provorov -- Brandon Manning
Scratched: Boyd Gordon, Nick Schultz
Injured: Michael Del Zotto (lower body), Scott Laughton (lower body), Michael Raffl (upper body)
Status report
Strome, the third pick of the 2015 NHL Draft, will be scratched for a third straight game. Dauphin replaces Crouse in the lineup. Domingue will start in goal after Peters allowed four goals on 34 shots in the 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. … Weise returns from a three-game suspension to play right wing on a new-look third line. Cousins, who had been playing left wing, moves to center with Brayden Schenn at left wing. Cousins' move to center pushes Bellemare to center on the fourth line, with Gordon a healthy scratch for the first time. Mason will make his fourth start in the past five games. Del Zotto, Laughton and Raffl were full participants at the morning skate but none are ready to play. The Flyers sent forward Taylor Leier to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. He had been called up Tuesday but didn't play against the Sabres.
Who's hot
Ekman-Larsson scored two goals against the Devils and leads NHL defensemen with four goals. … Konecny has points in five of seven games this season and scored his first NHL goal Tuesday. He's tied for the rookie lead with five assists.
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