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Kings-Coyotes Preview

Oct 23, 2009 - 4:52 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (6-4-0) at Phoenix (6-2-0), 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings have turned the Pacific Division standings upside down.

Winners of four straight, the Coyotes host the Kings in a matchup of surprising division leaders Saturday night.

Phoenix (6-2-0), Los Angeles (6-4-0) and Dallas are tied atop the Pacific with 12 points after each team failed to make the playoffs last season. After finishing in a tie for last, the Coyotes and Kings now lead Anaheim and reigning Presidents' Trophy winner San Jose.

Phoenix, which opened with a 6-3 win at Los Angeles on Oct. 3, has a chance to win five straight for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

The Coyotes have won six of their first eight for the third time in club history and the first time since 2000-01. All of their last five wins have been against teams that made the playoffs last season.

"It's feels a lot better than if we were 2-6," captain Shane Doan said. "We realize it's only eight games into the year. Come talk to us in April and that's when we'll be excited."

Veteran defenseman Adrian Aucoin has played a large role in the Coyotes' strong start, posting six points (two goals and four assists). He scored at 1:57 of overtime in a 3-2 comeback victory over Detroit on Thursday night.

"Up a goal, down a goal, it doesn't matter," said Aucoin, who signed as a free agent in July after two seasons with Calgary. "We come out and play the same way."

Ilya Bryzgalov's outstanding play has taken some of the pressure off the offense. He's 5-1-0 with a 0.97 goals-against average since allowing three scores against the Kings.

Bryzgalov has a 3.33 GAA in his last three games versus Los Angeles, but Phoenix won the last two.

The Kings have scored nine goals in winning their last two games after losing their previous three. Michal Handzus scored 55 seconds into overtime to lift Los Angeles to a 5-4 victory over Dallas on Thursday night.

Handzus' third game-winning goal of the season made sure Anze Kopitar's first career hat trick wasn't wasted.

Los Angeles is 44-22-8 when getting a goal from Kopitar, who leads the Kings with eight goals and is tied with Washington's Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in points with 16.

Kopitar didn't reach 16 points last season until his 20th game.

"His scoring is what's expected, but it's everything else he's doing that is taking him to the next level," Los Angeles winger Dustin Brown said. "He's a guy we've needed and we can't ask for much more."

Alexander Frolov added two assists Thursday for the Kings, giving him six on the season. The veteran winger, who had 32 goals last season, was a healthy scratch in a 4-1 win at Dallas on Monday night after being criticized by coach Terry Murray for a lack of effort.

Frolov's only goal this season was against Phoenix. He has six goals in his last four games versus the Coyotes.

Phoenix is 21-5-2 with two ties at home against Los Angeles since the start of 1999.