Coyotes hope to start turnaround as Canucks visit
The Arizona Coyotes don't have to search long and hard for an explanation of their current four-game losing streak.
After Friday's 5-2 loss in Anaheim, the Coyotes (24-22-6) have given up 21 goals over a 0-3-1 span.
The Coyotes will try to find some answers to their defensive problems Wednesday night when they host Vancouver in a matchup of two teams that find themselves on the outside looking in at the Western Conference playoff race.
The game can be seen on FOX Sports Arizona Plus, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said the Coyotes' focus needs to be solely on Wednesday's game and not the bigger playoff picture.
"We had a little break here to get re-energized after a tough week last week where we didn't have the results we wanted," Tippett said. "We're coming in here against a team that's kind of in the same predicament that we are, trying to scratch and claw for a playoff spot, so that should be our focus."
The Coyotes have taken 27 penalties and given up five power-play goals on the current losing streak, and they have allowed an average of 37.6 shots per game in the last five.
"We've got to recognize that we've got to bear down," defenseman Connor Murphy said. "Bad penalties, mental lapses and soft plays ... we have to take those things out of our games, and we've got to grow and be more of a consistent and stable group. If we want to win we're going to have to do that the whole game."
The defensive lapses have overshadowed Shane Doan's pursuit of the franchise's all-time points record. Doan has scored in each of Arizona's last two games and enters Wednesday with 928 career points, one shy of Dale Hawerchuk's franchise record.
Doan already owns the goals record of 387 and has a team-high 19 goals already this season after managing only 14 in 79 games a season ago. One more goal would give the Coyotes' captain the 13th 20-goal season of his career.
"After last season, I wanted to answer some personal questions for sure," said Doan, who scored twice in a 3-2 win in Vancouver on Jan. 4. "I thought I was better than that, and this year I've been able to contribute. ... This year was a different approach where I'm going to enjoy playing hockey. I'm playing in the NHL still, and I'm loving every minute of it."
Vancouver (21-20-12) drew even with Arizona in the Pacific Division standings with 54 points after Tuesday's 3-1 win in Colorado. The victory snapped what had been a four-game skid for the Canucks (0-3-1).
Bo Horvat's goal gave him 15 points in his last 14 games, but the Canucks need their three points leaders to come around. Goals and points leader Daniel Sedin has been limited to an assist in his last five games, Henrik Sedin is without a point in his last five and Jannik Hansen has been held off the score sheet in four straight.
Jacob Markstrom was in goal for Vancouver on Tuesday, so Ryan Miller should start this game. Miller hasn't won in his last five games, but he's 8-1-0 with a 1.65 goals-against average all-time against the Coyotes, including 5-0-0 with 1.39 mark in Arizona.
Louis Domingue figures to be back in goal for the Coyotes after Anders Lindback faced the Ducks on Friday. Domingue has given up five goals in three straight losses with a 6.10 GAA. He made 35 saves in the win over the Canucks last month.
