By Dave Vest
GLENDALE -- The Coyotes will play the Los Angeles Kings tonight at Jobing.com Arena in the second of rare back-to-back home games. The puck drops at 7 p.m. (Arizona time).
It will be a quick turnarond for the Coyotes, who lost to Anaheim, 3-1, on home ice on Tuesday night.
"Our margin for error is very slim," Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett said. "...Mistakes are going to happen in a game but you have to have the ability to overcome them. That's the fine line we're dealing with right now."
Ilya Bryzgalov will start in goal for the Coyotes (16-12-7). Bryzgalov stopped 21 of 24 shots vs. the Ducks in his first game back after a five-game absence (upper-body injury).
The Coyotes have scored just one goal in each of the past four games (1-3-0). In an effort to spark the offense, the team on Wednesday recalled forward
Brett MacLean from its American Hockey League affiliate in San Antonio. MacLean, 22, has notched a team-high 14 goals and a team-high 31 points in 32 games for San Antonio this season. MacLean is expected to make his NHL debut tonight.
"All I'm going to try to do is fit in, work as hard as I can, and show that I belong here in the NHL," MacLean said.
Forward
Radim Vrbata, who ranks tied for third on the team with 18 points, may return to the lineup tonight. Vrbata has missed the past two games because of a lower-body injury he suffered on Dec. 23 vs. San Jose.
The Coyotes beat Los Angeles 4-2 on Oct. 21 in Glendale in the only game the Pacific Division rivals have played so far this season.
Lee Stempniak led the way for Phoenix with his first career hat trick.
The Kings (22-12-1) will enter the game with a four game-winning streak. In those games, LA has outscored its opponents 15-3.
Jonathan Quick will start in goal for LA. Quick has notched three shutouts in his past six starts and ranks second in the NHL with a 1.86 goals-against average.
