{coyotes} COYOTES (27-20-10) at STARS (26-21-10)

Friday, 7 February 2014

{coyotes} COYOTES (27-20-10) at STARS (26-21-10)

Sons of Anarchy, Season 6 - Sons of Anarchy

Saturday, February 8, 2014

8:00 PM ET

COYOTES (27-20-10) at STARS (26-21-10)

TV: FS-A+; TXA 21

Last 10: Phoenix 5-4-1; Dallas 5-2-3

Season series: The Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars are meeting for the second time this week. The Coyotes will be seeking revenge after the Stars came to the desert on Tuesday and left with a 3-1 victory.

Big story: The Coyotes moved into the second Western Conference wild-card berth in the Stanley Cup Playoff race with a 2-0 home victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. But they could be leap-frogged by the Stars if Dallas wins in regulation and the Vancouver Canucks don't beat the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Team Scope:

Coyotes: Phoenix plays its last pre-Olympic game on the road after an odd five-game homestand that saw the Coyotes beat three of the NHL's best teams, including the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, while losing to the Stars and the last-place Buffalo Sabres.

The Coyotes moved into the second wild-card spot by scoring two power-play goals and getting a 29-save performance by Mike Smith while playing in front of the largest regular-season crowd in their history -- one that included 10 members of the United States' 1980 "Miracle on ice" team.

"I thought our whole group battled hard," coach Dave Tippett said. "There was a good atmosphere in the building. I was glad we went out and played well."

Tippett said Smith will get the start against the Stars.

Stars: Dallas returns home after getting one point on Thursday but letting a valuable second point slip away in a 2-1 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks. The Stars fell to 1-6 in games that are decided in the five-minute overtime period and 3-4 in shootouts. Coach Lindy Ruff said afterward he's concerned about the number of points his team is leaving on the table.

“It’s something we talked about right after the game. That’s an area we have to improve in. It’s not good enough,” Ruff said. “Those extra points are there. We lost coverage again on the goal and they made us pay for it."

Who's hot: Coyotes center Antoine Vermette has eight goals and four assists during a nine-game point streak. … Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen is 4-1-2 in his past seven decisions and has allowed 11 goals in that span.

Injury report: Coyotes defenseman Derek Morris didn't make the trip after leaving the game against Chicago in the first period with an upper-body injury. Center Martin Hanzal sat out Friday night due to illness but did make the trip. … The Stars are without veteran defenseman Stephane Robidas (broken leg).

Team Stats