The Coyotes, who are 10-3-1 in their past 14 games, have a one-point lead on the Minnesota Wild and are two points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche. Roberto Luongo is expected to start in goal for the Panthers after rookie Sam Montembeault started the previous six games. Florida has lost two straight after a four-game winning streak. The Panthers are eight points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.
Players to watch
Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper is 13-4-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in his past 18 games. Panthers center Aleksander Barkov has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) during a seven-game point streak.
They said it
"We can only worry about Florida tonight. We can't worry about the next game. When you look big picture, that's when you get in trouble." -- Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet "I'd like to see some depth scoring. It was the Barkov line show for the last two games. We need to get the other lines going underneath him and the guys understand that." -- Panthers coach Bob Boughner
Demers will play his 600th NHL game. … Stepan, who will miss his 10th consecutive game, took part in the morning skate and coach Rick Tocchet is hoping he can play against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday or against the New York Islanders on Sunday. … Hawryluk will be back in the lineup after missing three games with a lower-body injury.
Stat pack
Arizona has scored 15 shorthanded goals, one from breaking a Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets single-season record set in 1988-89. … Yandle has 57 points (nine goals, 48 assists), and needs one point to pass Robert Svehla (1995-96) for most in a season by a Panthers defenseman.
