Pre-Game Capsule: Coyotes vs. Flames

GAME 60:
Coyotes (17-32-10) vs. Flames (30-22-9)
Arizona, which hasn't played since Saturday, will try to stretch its season-long winning streak to five games when it hosts Calgary in Glendale on Thursday night.

WHERE: Gila River Arena
WHEN: 7 p.m. (AZ time)
TV: FOX Sports Arizona
RADIO:ESPN 620 AM
KEY FACTS:
Video: Tocchet on Kuemper Acquisition
• The Coyotes have won a season-high four games in a row and are 5-0-1 in their past six games. During that six-game stretch, Arizona outscored opponents 21-11.
• Antti Raanta will start in goal for the first time since posting a 40-save shutout vs. Edmonton on Saturday, his first shutout as a member of the Coyotes. The NHL named Raanta its Second Star of the Week on Monday to salute his 3-0-0 record in last week's starts. Overall, Raanta posted 0.90 goals-against average and a .976 save percentage in four appearances over six days.
"If you watch his games, especially the last month or three weeks, he's really given us a chance to win," Head Coach Rick Tocchet said. "Even if there's a soft goal, what I like is he's battled and he won't let that next goal in."
• Darcy Kuemper will serve as Raanta's backup for the first time after coming to the Coyotes via a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Arizona acquired Kuemper from the Kings for forward Tobias Rieder and goalie Scott Wedgewood.
"Darcy is a big, talented goaltender who is having an excellent year," Coyotes General Manager John Chayka said. "You need great goaltending in this league in order to be successful and, with Antti and Darcy, we are confident that we have an excellent tandem for the future."

• Derek Stepan is averaging a point per game over his past seven games and ranks second on the team in point production with 37 (10 goals, 27 assists). Stepan has scored at least 10 goals in every season since he entered the NHL in 2010-11. Alex Goligoski also is averaging a point per game over the past seven games and ranks tied for third on the team with 29 points.
• Max Domi, who has notched a goal and three assists in his past five games, will skate in his 200th NHL game.
• The Flames lost to Vegas, 7-3, on Wednesday night to start a brief two-game road trip that will end at Gila River Arena. Calgary has thrived on the road with a 17-8-5 record. Only the LA Kings have won more games away from home among Western Conference teams. Johnny Gaudreau leads the team and ranks tied for second in the NHL with 70 points. Dougie Hamilton has scored a career-high 14 goals and is just one behind Nashville's P.K. Subban for the most goals by an NHL defenseman this season. Goalie Mike Smith, who stopped all 28 shots he faced vs. the Coyotes on Nov. 30, is injured and will not play against his former team. Jon Gillies, who has played just three NHL games, likely will start for the Flames.

COYOTE BITES:
• "It's been a long week of just practicing so we're excited to get back into game mode. We're all ready to play, we're all coming to the rink feeling good about our game. Our guys expect to win right now. That's the biggest change, in my opinion, from the first half of the season, and when you expect to win you do things differently on the ice - you stay in your structure more and you stay more disciplined." -- Kevin Connauton
• "We've stayed in our groove and our practices have been good. Plus, we had some solid team bonding on the golf course the other day so I don't think our momentum will be lost. Everybody is excited to play a game after four days away ... Calgary's top line is playing really well right now, and then you throw in the other pieces that they've got and it will be a tough test for us. But I think with the way that we've been playing lately, we're up for it. Hopefully we can keep this winning streak going. It's fun." -- Jordan Martinook
• "This is our playoffs. We've talked about, 'OK, what are we going to do here the last 20-some games?' Listen, some of our guys are playing for jobs and some guys are playing to stay in the NHL, so there's a lot of things to play for. And I want to knock some teams out of the playoffs. I'm not saying any specific teams, but I don't mind playing a team and if we can beat them they're not going to make the playoffs. That's the way we have to think around here." -- Rick Tocchet