Preview: Coyotes at Canucks

GAME 43:
Coyotes (18-21-3) at Canucks (20-21-4)
Arizona, one of just nine NHL teams that have earned more points on the road (21) than at home (18) this season, will begin a three-game trip through western Canada on Thursday night when it skates vs. Vancouver.

WHERE: Rogers Arena | WHEN: 8 p.m. (AZ time) | TV:FOX Sports Arizona | RADIO:Arizona Sports 98.7 FM

ABOUT THE 'YOTES:
• Arizona has tallied a 5-3-2 record vs. Vancouver over the past 10 matchups between the teams, including a 4-1 win at Glendale on Oct. 25.
• The Coyotes, who will enter the game seven points behind Anaheim for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference standings, have lost 170 total man games to injury.
"Injuries are a part of it," General Manager John Chayka told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the team's flagship radio station. "Guys have stepped up. We're still in the hunt ... Our guys can smell it. There are some meaningful games here ... Our staff has done a nice job so far of keeping guys accountable, and we continue to move forward."
• Darcy Kuemper, who notched a 23-save shutout vs. the New York Rangers on Sunday, will make his third consecutive start. Kuemper has faced the Canucks a dozen times in his career; the Dallas Stars are the only NHL team he has faced more than Vancouver. He owns a 5-5-1 record with a .914 save percentage and a 2.39 goals-against average against the Canucks.

• Laurent Dauphin, whom Arizona recalled from the American Hockey League last week, will make his season debut. Dauphin has 34 games on his NHL resume, but hasn't played in the League since suffering a serious knee injury late last season.
• Brad Richardson leads the Coyotes with 11 goals and is just three goals short of tying his career-high for goals in one season. He scored 14 for Colorado in 2006-07.
"I try to do the right things and I try to do them consistently," Richardson said. "It's nice, obviously, to score goals, but I think a bigger part of that is just playing the right way and trying to do it all the time."
• Alex Galchenyuk has produced 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his past eight games, including a season-high three points on Sunday vs. New York.
"That's what I expect out of myself, and at the end of the day that's my job," Galchenyuk said. "I have to find a way to create chances and put myself in scoring positions. I have to keep working on that and keep getting better."
• Per Head Coach Rick Tocchet, Josh Archibald did not accompany the team to Vancouver on Wednesday because his wife is close to giving birth to their second child. Meanwhile, the Coyotes recalled Michael Bunting on Wednesday, and he traveled with the team in Archibald's place.
• Conor Garland has scored three goals in his past two games, and five in his past eight.
RELATED CONTENT:
Garland Gaining Confidence with Each Game, Goal
• Kevin Connauton will miss a third consecutive game because of a lower-body injury.
• Oliver Ekman-Larsson needs one goal to tie Teppo Numminen for most goals scored by a defenseman in franchise history. Numminen tallied 108; Ekman-Larsson has 107.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS:
• Vancouver will begin a six-game homestand having lost two games in a row, both via shutout. In fact, the Canucks failed to score a goal in all of their past four defeats ... Vancouver, which is two points off the playoff pace, ranks third in the League in blocked shots with 679 ... The Canucks will play minus rookie sensation Elias Pettersson, who is sidelined because of a knee injury. Pettersson leads the team and NHL freshmen in points (42), goals (22) and assists (20) ... Bo Horvat ranks first in the NHL in face-off wins (584), first in even-strength face-off wins (475) and first in face-offs taken (1,115) ... Alexander Edler is averaging a point per game over the past five games ... Only five NHL goalies have started more games this season than Jacob Markstrom, who is expected to make his 33rd on Thursday night.
'YOTES QUOTES:
• "We're feeling good. It was a big win for us the last game. I think we gained some confidence from that. We were playing the right way, so I think if we continue that we'll be in good shape on this roadie ... They're missing (Elias) Pettersson. He's obviously a very high-end player, but they've got some other guys that can really score with (Brock) Boeser up front, and they've got some really fast wingers as well who can fly down the wing and take you wide. We can't be caught off guard. I mean this is a team, I think, if we can get on the forecheck and get behind their 'D', we can spend a lot of time in the 'O' zone. I think that's going to be our focus tonight." -- Jakob Chychrun
• "They're a good team and they've got a great 'D' corps and a good goalie. It's a matter of they're missing some guys and we're missing some guys, and everybody's got to be ready to play. It's a big game for us." -- Conor Garland
• "I'm really excited to go tonight and be back in the best League in the world, for sure ... It feels very good. With my knee injured last year, it's a long way (to recover), so I'm really happy to be back in the lineup and just prove myself." -- Laurent Dauphin