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Islanders search for rare road win vs. Coyotes

Jan 2, 2009 - 2:08 PM NY Islanders (12-22-4) at Phoenix (18-15-5) 9:00 p.m. EST

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- The New York Islanders are mired in last place, and part of the problem is their lackluster performance away from Long Island.

The Islanders will be looking to earn two points on the road for the first time since November 24 when they visit the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday.

New York, which begins a four-game swing against Western Conference teams against the Coyotes, is 5-13-2 on the road and 0-9-1 over the last 10 away from home.

But after beginning December without a win in the first 10 games, the Islanders have played better of late, going 2-1-1 in their last four games.

New York earned a 4-2 win against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. Mike Comrie led the way with a pair of goals while goaltender Joey MacDonald made 27 saves.

Phoenix is coming off a 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday in which center Peter Mueller tallied twice to push his point total to 23 on the season. Shane Doan added a pair of assists in the contest and leads the Coyotes with 37 points.

After posting an 8-3-3 record in December, Phoenix has positioned itself as a surprise contender in the Western Conference.