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Coyotes-Islanders Preview

The Skinny
 

By Dave Vest
The Coyotes will continue their four-game trip against Atlantic Division teams tonight when they play the New York Islanders at Nassau Memorial Coliseum. The puck drops at 5 p.m. (Arizona time).

Photo by Getty Images.
Phoenix (14-9-7) will try to snap a two-game skid that includes a 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday and a 3-0 loss at New Jersey on Wednesday.

Taylor Pyatt, Adrian Aucoin and Martin Hanzal scored goals for the Coyotes on Thursday, and backup goalie Jason LaBarbera made 33 saves in place of Ilya Bryzgalov. LaBarbera will start again tonight with Matt Climie, who was recalled from the American Hockey League on Friday, serving as his backup.

Bryzgalov is again out of the lineup because of an upper-body injury. He is flying back to Phoenix today for further examination.

"We sent him back to Phoenix today so he could rest Sunday and see our doctors on Monday," Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney said. "We expect him to rejoin the team for practice on Tuesday."

For Pyatt, tonight's game will be his 16th against the team that selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Pyatt has notched one goal and three assists vs. the Isles in the first 15 games.

Led by Eric Belanger (54.8 percent), Hanzal (53.9) and Vernon Fiddler (52.7), the Coyotes rank third in the NHL in faceoff percentage at 52.7 percent.

The Islanders (6-18-5) on Thursday won for just the second time in their past 22 games. They scored three times in a 99-second span of the first period and held on to beat visiting Anaheim 3-2.

"It's good that we won, but we're not happy," Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, who stopped 30 shots, told reporters. "When we win 10 in a row, then we'll be a bit happy."

DiPietro will not play tonight because of swelling in one of his knees. Instead, the Coyotes will face Nathan Lawson, a 27-year-old who will be making his NHL debut.

Islanders forward John Tavares, the first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, has scored just two goals in his last 20 games.


Who's Hot
 
Pyatt
Coyotes left wing Taylor Pyatt has taken five shots on goal in the last five games.  Four of those shots have gone into the opponent's net.
Moulson
Islanders left wing Matt Moulson has notched two goals in the past three games and leads the team in goals (11), game-winning goals (two) and shots on goal (83).
Did You Know?
 
  • Coyotes defenseman Adrian Aucoin played three seasons for the Islanders from 2001-2004. The 44 points (13 goals, 31 assists) he notched for the Isles in 2003-04 still stand as his career-high for points in one NHL season.

  • The Coyotes are 1-2-1 in their last four games vs. the Islanders, including two consecuitve 3-2 losses at New York.
  • This game can be seen on Fox Sports Arizona and can be heard on XTRA Sports  910 (AM). A link to the radio broadcast will be provided at phoenixcoyotes.com at 5 p.m.
Podcasts
 
Bissonnette

No podcasts today. Instead, check out this video of Coyotes enforcer Paul Bissonnette shopping at the NHL store in Manhattan on Friday.

• Biz goes shopping
Injuries
 
  Trent Hunter
  Mike Mottau
  Kyle Okposo 
  Mark Streit
  Doug Weight
  Ilya Bryzgalov



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