Preview: Coyotes vs. Ducks

GAME 66:
Coyotes (32-28-5) vs. Ducks (25-32-9)
Arizona will try to extend its season-long winning streak to seven games when it skates vs. Anaheim on Tuesday night in Glendale.

WHERE:Gila River Arena | WHEN: 7 p.m. (AZ time) | TV:FOX Sports Arizona | RADIO:AZ Sports 98.7 FM

ABOUT THE 'YOTES:
• Arizona will enter the game with 69 points, two behind Minnesota for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference standings, with 17 games to play.
• The Coyotes have won two of three games vs. Anaheim this season, with two more left on the schedule. The first three games all were decided by one goal.
• Jason Demers, who was recalled from a one-game conditioning assignment in the American Hockey League on Sunday, will play his first game since suffering a knee injury on Nov. 15.
"He's ready to go," Head Coach Rick Tocchet said. "He's a veteran presence, and it's always nice to have that. He's played well for us and he adds a lot of personality to the dressing room. He's obviously a welcome addition for us."

Arizona has eight defensemen on its roster.
"From my experience over the years, and especially during stretch drives, you need all hands on deck," Tocchet said. "Guys can go down pretty quick and we've seen that all year. The last six weeks the injuries come more and more so you need healthy bodies. I see us staying with eight defensemen."
• Darcy Kuemper, who ranks sixth in the NHL in save percentage (.918) among goalies who've started at least 35 games, will make his 40th start. Kuemper has won a career-high 20 games this season, including seven in a row and 14 since New Year's Day. He has not allowed more than three goals in a game during his winning streak.
• Brad Richardson, who leads the team with 16 goals, is one of 10 Coyotes who have scored at least 10 goals this season. Only three other NHL teams - San Jose, Montreal and Nashville - boast that many double-digit goal scorers. As he did on Saturday, Richardson will fill in for injured Derek Stepan as an alternate captain. Stepan is likely out for the rest of the season.
• Oliver Ekman-Larsson has produced seven points (two goals, five assists) during a five-game point streak. He's expected to play in his 641st game tonight. Only five others have played more games in Coyotes/Jets history.
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• Vinnie Hinostroza has notched one goal and five assists so far on this season-long seven-game homestand with three games left.
ABOUT THE DUCKS:
• Anaheim snapped a five-game losing streak by beating Colorado, 2-1, on Sunday at Honda Center ... With 59 points, the Ducks rank next-to-last in the Western Conference standings, just three points ahead of Los Angeles ... Anaheim wins 51.9 percent of its face-offs; only three teams are more successful in the circles ... Ryan Getzlaf leads the Ducks with 39 points and 28 assists, despite missing 11 games because of injuries ... Jakob Silfverberg has scored a team-high 17 goals ... Adam Henrique is the only member of the team who has appeared in all 66 games ... John Gibson has stopped 78 of 83 shots in his past three starts .(934 save percentage) ... Ryan Kesler is expected to play his 1,000th NHL game.

'YOTES QUOTES:
•"Everyone is committed to team defense, and that's what we have to do to be successful. When we have that going, and our goaltending has been as good as it has, we're not going to give up a ton of goals. It's been nice." -- Brad Richardson
• "It's definitely a lot of fun to come to the rink. Everyone is contributing, so everyone feels like they're part of what we're doing. We all have an eye on the standings and we know how close we are (to a playoff spot), and that's our motivation right now." -- Darcy Kuemper
• "It all starts with our defense. We've been very stingy. Kuemper has made some big, timely saves and we've gotten a lot of blocked shots from our defensemen. They've got bumps and bruises all over the place. Yeah, we've been taking good care of the defensive zone, and the offensive zone is taking care of itself." -- Josh Archibald