The Coyotes are 2-3-3 in their past eight games and two points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the West. The Avalanche are home against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Goalie Darcy Kuemper, who has two shutouts in his past three games, will make his 21st consecutive start for Arizona. The Kings are playing the second of a back to back after a 7-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday. They have been eliminated from playoff contention but are 4-2-1 in their past seven games.
Players to watch
Kings center Anze Kopitar has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in his past nine games. Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his past 10 games.
They said it
"The last three games, you're not going to flip the switch and turn it around right away, but we've got to start working towards the future and just building the chemistry and the culture again." -- Kings center Anze Kopitar "We've got to make sure we stay with it and keep doing the right things and good things will happen. That's the attitude we have to have. You can't worry about anything else, you can't worry about who's playing who." -- Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet
MacDermid was injured Monday and will not play. … Raanta, out since Nov. 27, could resume practicing if the Coyotes reach the playoffs.
Stat pack
Brown has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in his past nine games. … Kuemper is 13-5-3 with a 1.69 goals-against average, .944 save percentage and four shutouts in his past 21 starts.
