Canucks, Coyotes plagued by injury issues, slumps

Tuesday, 03.04.2014 / 2:32 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- With injury issues and the NHL Trade Deadline looming, the slumping Vancouver Canucks and Phoenix Coyotes play a pivotal game at Jobing.com Arena on Tuesday that could have a tangible effect on what their teams might look like the next day.

The Coyotes have lost four in a row and five of their past six games and are 0-2-1 since the Olympic break. Phoenix is two points behind the Dallas Stars for the final Stanley Cup Playoff spot in the Western Conference but three teams, including Vancouver, are between Phoenix and Dallas.

Both teams are coming off frustrating and important losses at home Sunday, each blowing a 2-0 lead and losing a key forward to injury.

Vancouver lost forward Daniel Sedin to a left leg injury in its 4-2 loss against the Ottawa Senators when he was hit along the end boards by Senators defenseman Marc Methot.

"He's out for a while," Vancouver coach John Tortorella said Tuesday of Sedin. The Canucks are now 1-8-1 in the past 10 games.

With only 11 healthy forwards on the roster, Vancouver recalled Darren Archibald from the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League. Archibald skated on Vancouver's third line with Brad Richardson and Zack Kassian on Tuesday. The Canucks also made a trade, sending defenseman Patrick Mullen to the Ottawa Senators for the rights to unsigned forward Jeff Costello.

Chris Higgins will jump up into Daniel Sedin's spot alongside Henrik Sedin and Alexandre Burrows on the first line and David Booth will take Higgins' second-line spot next to Ryan Kelser and Jannik Hansen.

Goalie Roberto Luongo will make his first start since the Olympic break against Phoenix. Backup Eddie Lack went 1-1-1 in the past three games, and Tortorella said he spoke with Luongo on Sunday after he went with Lack in the 2014 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at BC Place.

The Coyotes saw a 2-0 lead after two periods evaporate in a bitter 4-2 loss against the St. Louis Blues. Phoenix lost center Martin Hanzal to a lower-body injury in the second period and he's not in the lineup Tuesday. Like the Canucks, the Coyotes will load the top two lines with Mike Ribeiro centering Lauri Korpikoski and Radim Vrbata, and Mikkel Boedker and Shane Doan on either side of Antoine Vermette.

Here are the projected lineups for the Canucks and Coyotes:

CANUCKS

Chris Higgins - Henrik Sedin - Alexandre Burrows

David Booth - Ryan Kesler - Jannik Hansen

Darren Archibald - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian

Tom Sestito - Zac Dalpe

Alexander Edler - Christopher Tanev

Dan Hamhuis - Jason Garrison

Ryan Stanton - Kevin Bieksa

Raphael Diaz

Roberto Luongo

Eddie Lack