Los Angeles @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 23, 2019 ) Arizona 3, Los Angeles 2

The slumping Arizona Coyotes have little room for error in a crowded Western Conference playoff race and are in desperate need of a win Thursday when they host the Los Angeles Kings. The Coyotes were 1-4-1 heading into their 10-day All-Star break and had an unsuccessful return to the ice Wednesday as they suffered a 4-2 setback in Anaheim.

The Coyotes are hoping to makes the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, and boast a skilled yet inexperienced team as illustrated by 22-year-old Christian Fischer on Wednesday becoming the eighth Arizona player this season to surpass 200 career games played. “We’re a confident group,” Coyotes right wing Conor Garland told the media. “We understand our potential and where we can get to and we haven’t gotten there yet. We’re a hungry team, we’re determined, and I think that’s a dangerous combination.” A tilt with the Kings - the Western Conference’s last-place team - may be exactly what the Coyotes need as Los Angeles dropped its fifth consecutive game Wednesday with a 4-2 loss to the Lightning. The Kings have won just one game in January (1-7-1) and to add injury to insult, defenseman Drew Doughty’s franchise record of 460 consecutive games played ended Wednesday as the 12-year veteran left the team’s practice Sunday with an undisclosed injury and missed his first game since April 12, 2014.

TIME: 9:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS West, FS Arizona

ABOUT THE KINGS (18-28-5): Trade rumors should not come as a surprise for a team in the Kings’ position so veteran players such as Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli, who scored his 13th goal of the season Wednesday, could be on the move before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. “There’s going to be some stuff that’s going to get moved around,” Kings captain Anze Kopitar told reporters. “But at the same time you’ve just got to keep your head down and work towards our common goal, which is turn this thing around and get it going in the right direction.” Jonathan Quick (11-18-3) stopped 20 shots against the Lightning and will hand the crease over Thursday to Jack Campbell (7-10-2), who has allowed four goals while making 22 saves in each of his last two starts - losses to the Flyers and Panthers.

ABOUT THE COYOTES (26-21-5): Taylor Hall saw his four-game point streak end Wednesday but has a team-best 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 17 games since being acquired by the Devils on Dec. 16. Still awaiting the return of goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who owns a .929 save percentage and a 15-8-2 record while missing the past 15 games, the Coyotes will have 23-year-old Adin Hill make his sixth start of the season Thursday after Antti Raanta made 28 saves Wednesday. Arizona’s third line did all the damage offensively Wednesday as Lawson Crouse and Vinnie Hinostroza each registered a goal and an assist while Nick Schmaltz added two helpers to increase his team lead in assists (30) and points (37).

OVERTIME

1. Coyotes C Carl Soderberg has gone seven games without a goal as he is one shy of 100 for his career.

2. Carter ranks second on the Kings with 14 goals but sports a team-worst minus-18 rating.

3. The Kings are tied for fourth in the NHL with 33.6 shots per game but are 29th in the league with 2.49 goals per contest.

PREDICTION: Coyotes 4, Kings 3