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Penguins look to get hot against Coyotes

Dec 3, 2007 - 4:11 PM Phoenix (11-13-0) at Pittsburgh (11-12-2) 7:30 pm EST

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to get out of last place in the Atlantic Division. A game on Monday against the struggling Phoenix Coyotes could provide a much-needed spark.

A 4-2 loss at Toronto on Saturday ended a three-game winning streak and again dropped Pittsburgh below .500. The Penguins have defeated Phoenix in the last two games, including a 7-2 victory back on January 27. Prior to the recent two-game slide against Pittsburgh, the Coyotes had won six straight in the series.

Reigning league scoring champion Sidney Crosby can't be blamed for the Penguins' slow start. Crosby has 14 goals and 22 assists and has only played two games without registering a point -- both Pittsburgh losses.

Evgeni Malkin has 10 goals and 20 assists for the Penguins, but that's about it for the Penguins' offensive punch. Sergei Gonchar, who leads NHL defensemen with 24 points, has missed the past two games with a strained groin. Gary Roberts, who scored seven goals in 19 games after being acquired at last season's trade deadline, has only scored once in 24 games.

Phoenix comes into the game attempting not to finish 0-4 on the current road trip. The three-game slide came on the heels of a four-game winning streak. The Coyotes have combined for only four goals on the trip and have just 59 for the season, which ranks 29th out of the 30 teams.

Phoenix is coming off a 3-2 loss at Detroit on Saturday, a game the Coyotes led by a goal entering the third period.