{coyotes} PANTHERS (26-35-8) at COYOTES (33-25-11)

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

{coyotes} PANTHERS (26-35-8) at COYOTES (33-25-11)

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Thursday, March 20, 2014

10:00 PM ET

PANTHERS (26-35-8) at COYOTES (33-25-11)

TV: FS-F, FS-A

Last 10: Florida 4-5-1; Phoenix 6-4-0

Season series: This is the second and final game between the Florida Panthers and Phoenix Coyotes. Phoenix won 3-1 at BB&T Center on March 11.

Big story: After spending much of the season jockeying for position from the back of the pack, the Coyotes have jumped into the final Stanley Cup Playoff position in the Western Conference. They'll look to build a bigger lead on their competitors for the conference's second wild-card spot when they get a rare visit from the Panthers, who have won two of their past three games.

Team Scope:

Panthers: The 2013-14 season hasn't been one to remember for Florida, but the Panthers may be making some strides in the final month. General manager Dale Tallon made one of the biggest moves near the NHL Trade Deadline by bringing goalie Roberto Luongo back to Florida, a deal that is already paying dividends. The Panthers are 2-0-1 in their past three games with the shootout loss coming against Luongo's former team, the Vancouver Canucks.

On Tuesday, Florida opened what should be a challenging road trip by ending the San Jose Sharks' six-game winning streak courtesy of a 52-save outing by Luongo, which included 28 saves in the third period alone.

"Some days you feel it more than others," Luongo said after the 3-2 win. "Even this morning at practice I felt good, even though I was off yesterday. You just have that feeling sometimes when you know you're going to play well. I've always enjoyed playing in this building. It was a fun game."

The Panthers' four-game trip will also pit them against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks after their visit to Phoenix.

Coyotes: On Monday, Phoenix became the first team this season to come back and win a game the Los Angeles Kings led going into the third period. Phoenix scored twice in the third period, capped by Jeff Halpern's game-winner with 3:05 remaining, to break the Kings' streak of 21 straight wins this season when leading after two -- and bumping the Coyotes into the West's final wild-card spot in the process.

"We were in dire straits going into the third," captain Shane Doan said afterward. "And the fact that you've got to find points every night. You're down to 13-14 games left. It was big."

The Coyotes lead the Dallas Stars by two points for the final wild-card spot, though Dallas does have a game in hand. There is also a chance the Coyotes could catch the Minnesota Wild, whom they trail by five points, for the first of the two wild cards.

Jumping into playoff position was the culmination of a particularly strong month for Phoenix, which has won six of its past eight games. Keeping that spot could be difficult, however, as the Coyotes face a tough upcoming schedule. After hosting Florida, Phoenix will host the Boston Bruins before heading east to visit the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils.

Who's hot: Panthers forward Quinton Howdon has played just four games this season, but he's notched a point in each of them, scoring three goals and adding an assist. … Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle has a goal and eight assists in the past seven games.

Injury report: Panthers forwards Jonathan Huberdeau (upper body) and Sean Bergenheim (lower body) are questionable, as is defenseman Erik Gudbranson (knee). Forwards Tomas Kopecky (concussion) and Aleksander Barkov (knee) remain out. … Coyotes forward Martin Erat (upper body) is expected to return after missing three games while defenseman David Schlemko (lower body) is questionable.

Team Stats