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Coyotes, Islanders meet in battle of sluggish offenses

Dec 13, 2007 - 2:31 PM Phoenix (13-15-0) at NY Islanders (14-13-2) 7:00 pm EST

UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) - Two of the worst offenses in the NHL will meet for the first time in five years when the New York Islanders host the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday.

The Islanders have scored just 66 goals this season - the lowest total of any NHL team - and have not scored more than three goals in 19 consecutive games.

With the offense faltering in front of him, goaltender Rick DiPietro is beginning to wear down in net. He has allowed three goals or more in four of his last six starts, going 1-4-1 with a 3.13 goals-against average in that span.

The offense could get a boost by the return of Ruslan Fedotenko, who has missed time with a shoulder injury. The left wing scored 52 points with the Tampa Bay Lightning before signing a one-year contract with the Islanders in July.

Thanks to a recent scoring spree, Phoenix is just ahead of New York in goals scored. Despite scoring four or more in five of their last 10 games, the Coyotes are still last in the Western Conference with 68 goals.