{coyotes} BLUE JACKETS (16-16-3) at COYOTES (14-19-4)

Friday, 2 January 2015

{coyotes} BLUE JACKETS (16-16-3) at COYOTES (14-19-4)

The Godfather Part II: The Coppola Restoration

Saturday, January 3, 2015

8:00 PM ET

BLUE JACKETS (16-16-3) at COYOTES (14-19-4)

TV: FS-O, FS-A

Season series: The Columbus Blue Jackets won two games against the Arizona Coyotes last season. Columbus backup goalie Curtis McElhinney made 34 saves in a 2-0 win on Jan. 2, 2013. After Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson tied the game with 14.6 seconds left in regulation, on April 8, Blue Jackets forward Ryan Johansen scored in overtime for a 4-3 victory that tied a Columbus record for wins (41).

Blue Jackets team scope: Following a 6-15-2 start, Columbus was 10-1-1 in December and moved to .500 with a 3-1 win Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild. The Blue Jackets play nine of their next 13 games and 15 of their next 24 on the road. Columbus is nine points out of the second wild-card spot into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Forwards Mark Letestu (groin) and Cam Atkinson (shoulder) practiced Friday but did not do line rushes and won't play Saturday. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was named the NHL's Third Star for December after going 9-1-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and one shutout.

Coyotes team scope: Arizona begins a six-game homestand after its season-high three-game winning streak ended Wednesday with a 6-0 loss to the Dallas Stars. It came after the NHL Board of Governors approved the sale of 51 percent of the Coyotes to Andrew Barroway, who was formally introduced in a news conference Friday. "We are here to win the Cup," he said. "It starts with me. We will not rest until we bring a Cup home to Arizona." The Coyotes could turn to goalie Mike Smith (5-15-2, 3.48 GAA) after Devan Dubnyk started six of the past seven games. Forward Joe Vitale (lower body) and defenseman Chris Summers (upper body) are likely to play, according to FOX Sports Arizona. Forward Tyler Gaudet was assigned to Portland of the American Hockey League.

Team Stats