Pre-Game Capsule: Coyotes vs. Kings

GAME 25:
Coyotes (5-16-3) vs. Kings (12-8-2)
Arizona will try to earn its second home victory of the season on Friday night when it hosts slumping Los Angeles in Glendale.

WHERE: Gila River Arena
WHEN: 7 p.m. (AZ time)
TV: FOX Sports Arizona
RADIO: KTAR News 92.3 FM

KEY FACTS:
• Arizona will try to get back on track after losing to San Jose, 3-1, on Wednesday in the first of three straight home games. The Coyotes have won just one of nine games (1-7-1) played at Gila River Arena this season.
• Scott Wedgewood will start in goal for Arizona in place of Antti Raanta, who suffered an upper-body injury in the loss to San Jose. Raanta is considered day-to-day, but Head Coach Rick Tocchet said he won't play vs. Los Angeles or vs. Vegas on Saturday. Wedgewood has posted a 1-2-1 record in five games with the Coyotes, with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. The game vs. the Kings will be Wedgewood's first start on home ice since joining the team via a trade with New Jersey on Oct. 28. Marek Langhamer, whom Arizona recalled from the American Hockey League on Thursday, will serve as the team's backup goalie during Raanta's absence.

• Derek Stepan will enter the game with a season-high four-game point streak and ranked tied for fourth on the team with 12 points (three goals, nine assists). Stepan has been hot in the face-off circle lately and ranks eighth in the NHL with 249 successful draws.
• Brendan Perlini has scored a goal in two consecutive games and ranks tied for second on the team with six in 18 games.
• Jordan Martinook, who has notched one goal in 23 games this season, has scored five of his 21 NHL goals vs. the Los Angeles Kings over 10 games. That's 23.8 percent.
• Mario Kempe is hoping to get back into the lineup vs. the Kings after being a healthy scratch the past three games. Should Kempe play, he would square off vs. his younger brother Adrian for the first time on NHL ice. Adrian Kempe, 21, is a forward for the Kings and has scored seven goals in 21 games this season. Mario Kempe, 29, has notched two goals in 18 games for Arizona.
• Clayton Keller leads the Coyotes with 11 goals and 20 points, but has notched zero goals and three assists over the past six games. With 11 goals, Keller is tied for the NHL rookie lead with Vancouver's Brock Boesser, who now leads NHL freshmen with 21 points.
• The Kings are 1-6-0 in their past seven games after winning 11 of their first 15. Los Angeles last played on Wednesday and lost, 2-1, to Winnipeg at home. Anze Kopitar leads Los Angeles with 24 points and 15 assists. Tyler Toffoli has scored a team-high 10 goals. Starting goalie Jonathan Quick has lost six games in a row, but backup Darcy Kuemper is expected to start vs. the Coyotes. Kemper is 3-0-0 this season with a 1.62 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. The Kings rank second in the NHL in penalty killing at 89.3 percent.

COYOTE BITES:
• "I'll take it as it comes. In the backup position, when you get your chance you make the most of it. For me, it's play, do what I do best. I don't need to do anything spectacular, (just) make the saves I'm supposed to make and obviously just trust my team out there ... We reset after that Winnipeg game and started moving forward. In the 'D' zone, we're blocking more shots, we're closing off lanes, and they're not getting as many Grade A chances." -- Scott Wedgewood
• "They're a very well-rounded team and will be a very good test for us. We want to try to establish a home ice to make it a little tougher place to play. On the last trip, we simplified things a little bit, just kind of played a north style of hockey where you just kind of chip pucks in and everyone is supporting one another on the ice. So, I think at home we don't have to try to change anything, just keep playing that simple style and hopefully we get a few more bounces and some pucks start to go in for us." -- Luke Schenn
• "They've got some high-end players. Obviously we're catching a break with (Jeff) Carter being out ... They're a bigger team and they've got good structure there with (Head Coach) Johnny Stevens. It's just a matter of them finding their game. Hopefully it won't be tonight." -- Rick Tocchet on Kings