Coyotes 5 - 1 Oilers
Final
  for this game

Coyotes hope for another win against Oilers

Dec 23, 2014 - 4:16 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Arizona Coyotes have won just twice in their last 12 games.

The good news for the Coyotes is that both have come against the Edmonton Oilers, who they are set to visit on Tuesday night in the hopes of breaking out of their current slump.

Arizona has gone 2-8-2 over its last 12 games, with the victories coming on Dec. 1 in Edmonton and then last Tuesday at home versus the Oilers. Following the most recent win, the Coyotes hit the road for three straight, a span that concludes tonight on the heels of losses in Los Angeles and Vancouver.

The Coyotes were blasted 7-1 by the hosting Canucks last night, with Mike Smith lasting just over a period and giving up four goals on 11 shots before getting pulled. Devan Dubnyk, who had started each of the previous three games, made 26 saves on 29 shots in relief.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson accounted for the Coyotes' lone goal off assists from Sam Gagner and Keith Yandle.

"It's kind of a microcosm of our team this year," Arizona head coach Dave Tippett said of the game.

Arizona has scored more than two goals only once in its past eight games while allowing at least four goal in all but one of those games.

The Coyotes, though, have won all four meetings with the Oilers this season and are 14-0-3 in the last 17 encounters. They also have won five straight in Edmonton.

The Oilers will try to cap their season series against the Coyotes with a victory, one that would snap the club's current seven-game slide.

Edmonton fell to 1-12-6 over its last 19 games with a 6-5 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday. The Oilers led 5-2 in the game, but the Stars got a goal with 21 seconds to play in the second period and then scored twice in the third frame before prevailing in the eight-round shootout.

"When you're up you have to keep on board checking hard, getting pucks in deep and managing the puck, but those things weren't happening," Edmonton interim coach Todd Nelson said.

Taylor Hall and Mark Arcobello scored two goals each, with Hall adding an assist while lighting the lamp for the first time in 12 games. Teddy Purcell added a goal and two assists.

Ben Scrivens made 40 saves in the loss.






Related News