Music: {allcanada} CANUCKS (36-24-3) at COYOTES (20-37-7)

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

{allcanada} CANUCKS (36-24-3) at COYOTES (20-37-7)

ESPN Fantasy Baseball / Yahoo Fantasy Baseball

Thursday, March 5, 2015

9:00 PM ET

CANUCKS (36-24-3) at COYOTES (20-37-7)

TV: SNP, FS-A

Season series: Martin Hanzal's natural hat trick led the Arizona Coyotes to a 5-0 win and Dave Tippett's 200th career coaching victory Nov. 14. Alexandre Burrows scored twice and Ryan Miller made 38 saves in a 7-1 Vancouver Canucks win Dec. 22.

Canucks team scope: Vancouver did not skate Wednesday and faces a tough schedule with 14 games in 27 days, including two back-to-back sets. A 6-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday left the Canucks winless in six games against Pacific Division opponents in 2015; they have a three-point lead for second place over three teams. Filling in for Miller (sprained knee), goalies Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom allowed 15 goals in the past four games; the Canucks also surrendered three empty-netters. Markstrom gave up three goals on four shots before he was pulled less than eight minutes into the game against San Jose, his first NHL action this season. Lack likely will start. Vancouver's injury-ravaged defense could get some help if Alexander Edler (upper body) can return to the lineup. Edler practiced Monday and took part in an optional morning skate Tuesday. Henrik Sedin extended his point streak to eight games (6-7-13) with two goals Tuesday.

Coyotes team scope: Arizona's 10-game losing streak is the franchise's longest run of consecutive regulation losses since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996-97, and its nine-game skid (0-8-1) at home is tied for the franchise record. The Coyotes used the same lines and defense pairings from a 4-1 loss Tuesday to the Anaheim Ducks at practice Wednesday, with defenseman Brandon Gormley rotating with John Moore, acquired from the New York Rangers before the NHL Trade Deadline. "We'll see if there's progress made in the game [Thursday]," Tippett told the Coyotes website. "There were some issues that we looked at [Wednesday] as a group, defending and playing without the puck, and things like that, that we have to get everybody on the same page with." Oliver Ekman-Larsson leads Arizona and NHL defensemen with a career-high 17 goals and nine on the power play. "His growth with our group has been obvious," Tippett said. "He's a top player. He takes responsibility that top players do."

Team Stats