• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Red-hot Coyotes begin road trip in Nashville

Feb 19, 2011 - 4:27 PM (Sports Network) - The sizzling Phoenix Coyotes will aim for a seventh straight victory when they visit the Nashville Predators for tonight's clash at Bridgestone Arena.

Phoenix won its sixth straight contest Thursday against Atlanta in a game that ended a three-game homestand for the Coyotes. This evening's tilt marks the start of a five-game road trip for Phoenix, which is 16-9-4 away from the desert this season.

The Coyotes are pacing the highly-competitive Pacific with 71 points, but they are just one ahead of San Jose for the division lead. Phoenix is also just three points in front of Dallas, Los Angeles and Anaheim, who are all tied for last place in the Pacific.

Phoenix will try to keep their win streak alive tonight without defenseman Ed Jovanovski, who was placed on injured reserve Friday with an upper body injury. The 34-year-old blueliner suffered the injury in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Thrashers.

Fellow Coyotes defenseman Adrian Aucoin is questionable for tonight with a lower-body injury. Forwards Taylor Pyatt (back) and Kyle Turris (undisclosed) are also questionable for this evening's test.

Keith Yandle collected three assists and Ilya Bryzgalov made 33 saves to lift the Coyotes to the win over Atlanta.

Eric Belanger, Shane Doan, Lauri Korpikoski and Martin Hanzal lit the lamp for the Coyotes, who will try to post their second seven-game winning streak of the season tonight. Phoenix also won seven in a row from Nov. 10-23.

"It was kind of an ugly game," Doan said of Thursday's win. "The last two games haven't been exactly the way we want to play at home, but we found ways to win."

After tonight's contest, the Coyotes will head north to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

While the Coyotes are on a lengthy winning streak, the Predators enter tonight with at least a point in four straight games. Nashville improved to 3-0-1 over that stretch with Thursday's home victory over Vancouver.

Martin Erat recorded a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to the 3-1 win over the Western Conference-leading Canucks.

Nick Spaling and Mike Fisher also tallied for the Predators. Fisher's goal was his first for Nashville since being acquired from Ottawa one week ago.

Pekka Rinne stopped 35 shots for the hosts, who remain very much alive in the hunt for a top-four playoff spot in a tight Western Conference playoff race. With 70 points the Preds are currently tied with San Jose for the fourth seed.

"We lean on Pekka quite a bit and [he] has been great," said Nashville defenseman Shane O'Brien. "He's been our best player all year."

Nashville forwards Marcel Goc (upper body) and Steve Sullivan (face) are both questionable for tonight's game after suffering injuries in the win over Vancouver.

This evening's contest marks the end of a four-game homestand for the Predators, who are 14-5-7 as the host this season.

Nashville has taken two straight from the Coyotes after losing the season series opener on Nov. 3 in Phoenix. The Preds have won six of 10 overall in the series and they have also claimed five of the last six encounters in the Music City.