Flames-Coyotes Preview
By Dave Vest
GLENDALE – The Coyotes will look to extend their winning streak to three games tonight when they host the Calgary Flames at Jobing.com Arena. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. (Arizona time).
The Flames beat Phoenix, 2-1, at Pengrowth Saddledome on Nov. 25.
"They're playing well right now," Coyotes center Matthew Lombardi said. "They've got a good team with some elite players, and they're playing a real tight and real disciplined system. We saw that firsthand last week."
The Coyotes (15-11-1) have notched eight goals during their winning streak, including five vs. Dallas the last time they played on home ice.
Captain
Shane Doan, who eventually received official credit for scoring the game-winning goal vs. Anaheim on Sunday, leads the Coyotes with 18 points.
Ilya Bryzgalov is expected to make his eighth straight start in goal.
Calgary (17-6-3), which has earned at least one point in 10 consecutive road games, is led by Doan's good pal Jarome Iginla. The NHL named Calgary's captain its First Star of the Month for November after Iginla cranked out 13 goals and seven assists in 14 games.
Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff has been red-hot lately having posted back-to-back shutouts in his past two starts.
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| Lang |
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Coyotes center Robert Lang is averaging a point per game over the past five games and ranks tied for second on the team with 16 points. |
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| Dawes |
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Flames left wing Nigel Dawes has ended a nearly monthlong goal-scoring drought by scoring one goal in each of his last four games. |
- Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski is hoping to return to the lineup after missing Sunday's game at Anaheim because of a nagging lower-body injury. "I will take morning skate and we'll see, but these last two days have been really good days for me. I've just got to make a smart decision." Forward Peter Mueller (upper-body injury) may miss a second consecutive game.
- The Coyotes have not defended home ice well against Calgary the past six seasons. The Flames have won nine of the last 11 games played in Arizona.
- The Flames are expecting left wing Rene Bourque to return to the lineup. Bourque led Calgary in scoring after the first 20 games with 21 points. He has not played since suffering an undisclosed injury on Nov. 19.
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