Coyotes at Stars Preview

The Coyotes will play their final road game of the season tonight when they take on the Dallas Stars. The puck drops at 5:30 p.m. Arizona time at the American Airlines Center.
Arizona (29-41-9) will try to extend its winning streak to three games following recent victories over Washington and Los Angeles.
Mike Smith is expected to start in goal seeking his 20th win of the season. Should he play, Smith would tie Bob Essensa for most games played by a goalie in franchise history. Essensa played 311 games.

Forward Radim Vrbata, who leads the team in goals (18), assists (35) and points (53), will not play because of a lower-body injury.
Defenseman Alex Goligoski will enter the game with a season-high four-game point streak. Goligoski, of course, played 385 games for Dallas over six seasons before signing with Arizona last summer.

Alexander Burmistrov, who has scored three goals in the past two games, has thrived since Arizona claimed him off waivers from Winnipeg in January. In 23 games with the Coyotes, the center has produced four goals and eight assists. In 23 games with Winnipeg before being waived, he notched just two assists.
The Coyotes will play minus defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who left the team on Monday because of the death of his mother. He will not play again this season.
"Our young players have continued to play hard," Head Coach Tippett said. "Our veterans are leading the way a little bit. We want to continue that. Nobody likes to be in this situation, but it is what it is. There's young players that need to continue to grow. Guys playing for contracts. You just want to play an honest game. That's what you're looking for."

Dallas (32-36-11) has won eight straight games against the Coyotes at American Airlines Center and notched a 5-2 victory in the most recent game played in Dallas on Feb. 24.
The Stars, who have lost three of their past four games, are starting a three-game homestand that will end their season.
Center Tyler Seguin leads the team in points (70) and assists (45), and co-leads with 25 goals. Captain Jamie Benn also has scored 25 goals.
Forward Jason Spezza is averaging two points per game in his past four games at the American Airlines Center.
Antti Niemi, who owns a 16-6-4 record vs. the Coyotes in 27 games, will start in goal seeking his first victory since Feb. 28.
The Stars on Tuesday recalled Justin Dowling from the American Hockey League. Dowling, a rookie center, has notched two assists in seven games with Dallas.
OFFICIAL GAME NOTES
BROADCAST INFO:
TV: FOX Sports Arizona Plus
Radio: ESPN Phoenix 620 AM