{coyotes} Coyotes go for fifth win in row when Red Wings visit

Thursday, 14 January 2016

{coyotes} Coyotes go for fifth win in row when Red Wings visit

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RED WINGS (22-14-7) at COYOTES (22-16-4)

TV: FS-D+, FS-A

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- After having a four-game winning streak end Monday, the Detroit Red Wings will try to end an opponent's run of success Thursday when they play the Arizona Coyotes.

The Coyotes are playing their best hockey of the season, extending their own winning streak to four games by coming from behind to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in overtime Tuesday. The Coyotes are 8-1-2 in their past 11 games and will look to win five straight for the first time in more than two years (Oct. 26-Nov. 5, 2013).

"We're a confident group right now," forward Anthony Duclair said in comments tweeted by the Coyotes. "We're playing really well and when we play as a team we can beat anyone in this League."

Arizona has capitalized on strong goaltending by rookie Louis Domingue, who is 7-0-2 in nine starts, and a hot power play. The Coyotes are 13-for-36 with the man-advantage over the past nine games (36 percent) and 6-for-11 (54.5 percent) during the four straight wins, scoring three power-play goals against the Oilers.

The Coyotes made a move to bolster their defense Wednesday, claiming Kevin Connauton off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Connauton, 25, has 125 NHL games on his resume and scored nine of his 11 career goals for Columbus last season after starting his career with the Dallas Stars.

"I'm excited to be here and have a chance with these guys," Connauton said after his first skate with Arizona. "I just have to make the most of the opportunity.

"It strengthens you a little bit mentally to get bounced around a little bit. Everyone takes a different journey in this League. Some guys get the jersey after draft day and never look back. Other guys you have to carve your way through. I've taken a lot of positive and met a lot of great people and this is another chapter."

Arizona coach Dave Tippett said Connauton would sit as a scratch against the Red Wings.

"He's a good two-way defenseman and a left-handed shot," Tippett said. "We're trying to add some depth to our group. He got in (Wednesday) night so we'll let him sit and watch a game and see where he's at for the next one."

Detroit won the first four games of a six-game road trip before a 4-2 loss against the Los Angeles Kings. After going with seven defensemen against the Kings, coach Jeff Blashill with go back to six against the Coyotes with Alexey Marchenko sitting out.

Goalie Petr Mrazek will start for the Red Wings.

Here are the projected lineups:

RED WINGS

Gustav Nyquist - Henrik Zetterberg - Justin Abdelkader

Darren Helm - Pavel Datsyuk - Tomas Tatar

Brad Richards - Riley Sheahan - Dylan Larkin

Tomas Jurco - Luke Glendening - Joakim Andersson

Niklas Kronwall - Jonathan Ericsson

Danny DeKeyser - Kyle Quincey

Brendan Smith - Mike Green

Petr Mrazek

Jimmy Howard

Scratched: Alexey Marchenko

Injured: Drew Miller (lower body), Johan Franzen (concussion), Teemu Pulkkinen (shoulder)

COYOTES

Max Domi - Antoine Vermette - Mikkel Boedker

Tobias Rieder - Martin Hanzal - Anthony Duclair

Jordan Martinook - Brad Richardson - Shane Doan

Kyle Chipchura - Boyd Gordon - Viktor Tikhonov

Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Connor Murphy

Klas Dahlbeck - Zbynek Michalek

Nicklas Grossman - Michael Stone

Louis Domingue

Anders Lindback

Injured: Mike Smith (abdominal surgery), Joe Vitale (fractured orbital bone)

Scratched: Kevin Connauton, Steve Downie

Status report: To make room for Connauton, the Coyotes assigned forward John Scott to Springfield of the American Hockey League. It is likely to be a short-term stay after Arizona placed defenseman Stefan Elliott on waivers Thursday. Elliott has two goals and six points in 19 games this season for Arizona, and Tippett would like him to stay in the organization if he clears waivers. "In his role here he's done fine," Tippett said. "It's just one of the byproducts of trying to add depth. I would like to keep him. He's been a real serviceable player for us. Our defense has been a little beat up down (in Springfield), so we'll see where that goes."

Who's hot: Each goalie is riding a personal four-game winning streak. Mrazek has a 1.25 goals-against average during his run and Domingue has a 1.47 GAA. Mrazek's .942 even-strength save percentage ranks second among goalies with at least 25 starts. … Ekman-Larsson is coming off a career-best four-point game against the Oilers and has five goals and 12 points in his past nine games.

Team Stats