• Rookie Dakota Mermis is expected to play his first NHL game in his hometown rink. Like Keller, Mermis is from the St. Louis area. He's played four games in the NHL since Arizona recalled him from the American Hockey League on Nov. 1. On Tuesday, Mermis played a career-high 13:55 vs. Pittsburgh.
• Luke Schenn will square off vs. his younger brother Brayden Schenn, a forward for the Blues. Once teammates with Philadelphia, the Schenn brothers have combined to play 1,110 NHL games.
"He seems like he's fitting in here pretty well," Luke said of Brayden. "Playing with (Jaden) Schwartz and (Vladimir) Tarasenko, their line is playing great hockey right now. They do it all and help each other out. I think he gets a few goals going to the front of the net."
• Anthony Duclair is expected to be back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for five of the past six games, including three games in a row.
• St. Louis, which ranks second in the NHL with 25 points, has won 11 straight games against Arizona and has earned at least one point in the past 15 games (14-0-1) between the teams. Forward Alexander Steen is averaging a point per game in 27 games vs. the Coyotes, and goalie Jake Allen is 7-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .961 save-percentage and two shutouts in seven career starts vs. Arizona/Phoenix.
Tweet from @ArizonaCoyotes: Put my name at the top of your list. pic.twitter.com/F55OzunouJ
COYOTE BITES:
• "They've got a lot of talent and the big thing that stands out is how hard they work. They've got a really hard-working group and they seem like they play a great system game, with great defensemen and great goaltending. We don't see any weaknesses over there." -- Luke Schenn on the Blues
• "This past week has been such a whirlwind, but this is a game I've had marked on the calendar since I signed with the Coyotes. Playing my first game in St. Louis in my first week in the NHL is pretty much a dream come true. It's a huge day for my family and friends. I'm really looking forward to it." -- Dakota Mermis, who grew up in Alton, Illinois, a small town near St. Louis
• "We do have a pretty good gripe. Our November, I've never seen anything like it. It's tough, but one good thing about this team is we haven't heard one excuse from the players about the schedule, which I really like." -- Rick Tocchet on team's hectic road schedule
