Pre-Game Capsule: Coyotes vs. Rangers

GAME 43:
Coyotes (10-27-5) vs. Rangers (21-14-5)
Arizona will play its final game before its NHL-mandated "bye week" on Saturday night when it hosts New York in Glendale.

WHERE: Gila River Arena
WHEN: 6 p.m. (AZ time)
TV: FOX Sports Arizona
RADIO:Arizona Sports 98.7 FM

KEY FACTS:
• Arizona enters the game looking to snap an eight-game losing streak (0-7-1) vs. the Rangers. The Coyotes have not defeated New York since Oct. 3, 2013 in Glendale.
• Antti Raanta, who played 56 games for the Rangers over two seasons before being traded to the Coyotes last summer, will start in goal vs. his former team for the first time. Raanta did not play in the first game between these teams played Oct. 26 at Madison Square Garden because of injury. New York won that game 5-2.

• Derek Stepan, who spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers before being traded to the Coyotes last summer, is looking to play better vs. New York this time around than he did when the teams played in October at MSG. Stepan did not get a point in that game and was minus-3. Stepan leads the Coyotes with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 19 home games this season.
• Alex Goligoski will enter the game with a four-game point streak. Goligoski ranks tied for second on the Coyotes with 17 assists and third with 21 points.
• Rookie Christian Fischer has scored a goal in four of his past seven games, and ranks second on the team and seventh among NHL freshmen with 11 goals.
• Brad Richardson, who hasn't played since suffering an upper-body injury on Dec. 23, centered the fourth line at Friday's practice and likely will return to the lineup after missing four games. Meanwhile, Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper-body injury) and Zac Rinaldo (suspension) will remain sidelined until after the bye week.
• Freddie Hamilton reported to the Coyotes on Friday and skated with his new team for the first time. The Coyotes claimed Hamilton on waivers from the Calgary Flames on Thursday. He's not expected to play vs. the Rangers.
• The Rangers, who have earned at least one point in seven of the past nine games (5-2-2), are in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division standings, six points behind first-place Washington. New York has won just six of 15 road games (6-7-2). The Rangers are the only NHL team with 14 players who have produced 13 or more points this season. Mats Zuccarello leads New York with 31 points and Michael Grabner is the team's top goal scorer with 18. Henrik Lundqvist has posted a 7-1-0 record, a 2.10 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in eight career games vs. the Coyotes.

COYOTE BITES
• "I have great memories from (playing) there, but it's in the past now. I'm trying to focus on things here and get things working out here ... They have high-skilled players up front and their 'D' join the rush a lot so it's going to be a fast-paced game. We need to be disciplined. We can't take too many penalties. They've got skillful players on their power play. We need to be careful with them." -- Antti Raanta on playing vs. former team
• "I'm excited for an opportunity to play against them and see my old teammates. This time around I should be able to feel my legs moving a little better in the first. I'm excited about it, and I think it'll be a lot of fun. But it's important for our group to be ready and to build from (Thursday's win vs. Nashville)." -- Derek Stepan on playing Rangers for a second time
• "We didn't play with desperation, so maybe it's a little bit different now. We're coming off a win and some rest. They had to travel (on Friday) so we'll see if we can jump on them." -- Rick Tocchet on playing Rangers for a second time