Preview: Maple Leafs at Coyotes

MAPLE LEAFS (13-12-7) at COYOTES (11-17-5)
TV: 9 p.m.; FS-A, SNO, NHL.TV

Maple Leafs team scope

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie center and Arizona native Auston Matthews will play his first NHL game at Gila River Arena on Friday, against the Arizona Coyotes. He idolized former Coyotes forward Daniel Briere and current Coyotes captain Shane Doan before becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. "It's going to be pretty special to play at home and have a lot of family and friends here," said Matthews, who is expected to take the opening faceoff. "But at the same time you're trying not to think about it too much. Just take it as another game, another big two points for this team. Try to have fun with it." Matthews scored a goal against the Coyotes in a 3-2 shootout loss at Air Canada Centre on Dec. 15. Matthews scored in a 6-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, his 10th goal in the past 13 games after going the previous 13 without a goal. Forward Frederik Gauthier got his first NHL goal in his second game and Frederik Andersen got his first shutout with the Maple Leafs. Andersen will start again when the Maple Leafs try to win the second game of a back-to-back for the first time in seven tries this season (0-5-1). They have been outscored 22-9 in those games.

Coyotes team scope

Doan will become the 17th NHL player to skate in 1,500 games Friday. "To not only play that many games but to do it with one franchise is pretty remarkable," coach Dave Tippett said. "It speaks volumes about his commitment to the team, the organization, the community and how good a player he has been for so long." Doan was selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 7 pick of the 1995 draft and moved with the franchise to Arizona in 1996. Doan has gone 10 games without a goal and remains one shy of 400 in his NHL career. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who left a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday twice because of shoulder and head injuries, will not play. Forward Ryan White is out because of a lower-body injury. The Coyotes have lost three straight (0-2-1), including the first two games of a five-game homestand. They are 3-7-3 in their past 13 games, but one of the wins was a 3-2 shootout victory against the Maple Leafs on Dec. 15. Peter Holland, acquired in a trade with the Maple Leafs on Dec. 9, had the winning goal in the shootout. "He is good with the puck and if he gets it he can make plays," Tippett said. The Coyotes have defeated the Maple Leafs five straight times and are 11-1-1 in their past 13 games against Toronto since the 2005-06 season.

Maple Leafs projected lineup

James van Riemsdyk -- Nazem Kadri -- Mitchell Marner
Zach Hyman -- Auston Matthews -- Connor Brown
Leo Komarov -- Frederik Gauthier -- William Nylander
Matt Martin -- Byron Froese -- Nikita Soshnikov
Morgan Rielly -- Nikita Zaitsev
Jake Gardiner -- Connor Carrick
Matt Hunwick -- Roman Polak
Frederik Andersen
Antoine Bibeau
Scratched:Frank Corrado, Josh Leivo
Injured:Tyler Bozak (lower body), Martin Marincin (lower body), Ben Smith (hand)

Coyotes projected lineup

Tobias Rieder -- Martin Hanzal -- Radim Vrbata
Jamie McGinn -- Peter Holland -- Anthony Duclair
Lawson Crouse -- Jordan Martinook -- Shane Doan
Josh Jooris -- Christian Dvorak -- Brendan Perlini
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Connor Murphy
Alex Goligoski -- Michael Stone
Tony DeAngelo -- Luke Schenn
Mike Smith
Louie Domingue
Scratched:Kevin Connauton
Injured: Jakob Chychrun (upper body), Max Domi (hand surgery), Brad Richardson (broken leg), Ryan White (lower body)

Status report

The Maple Leafs did not have a morning skate. ... Jooris returns to the lineup with White out. Rieder will play with Hanzal and Vrbata after Crouse had a two-game audition with the top line. Connauton alternated with DeAngelo on a defense pair with Schenn and could play.

Who's hot

Marner has five points in his past four games. … Hanzal had a goal Wednesday and is two points away from 300 in his NHL career.