Colorado @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 23, 2018 ) Colorado 5, Arizona 1

The Arizona Coyotes hope to salvage the finale of their three-game homestand and halt a three-game overall slide when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Arizona has produced a total of two goals during the skid and has been held to fewer than two tallies in four of its last five contests.

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the lone goal in Thursday's 2-1 loss to Montreal, giving him two tallies in his last four contests after a 16-game drought. Colorado also has struggled offensively of late, registering only four goals over the final three games of a 2-2-0 homestand that concluded with Friday's 2-1 setback against Chicago. Mikko Rantanen, who leads the NHL with 58 points, was kept off the scoresheet for the second time in three contests following a 14-game point streak during which he collected eight goals and 19 assists. The 22-year-old Finn has registered 18 multi-point performances this season, with 10 coming in his last 17 games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude2 (Colorado), FS Arizona Plus

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (19-11-6): Colorado could be without Colin Wilson on Saturday as the veteran center exited the loss to the Blackhawks early in the third period with an upper-body injury. The 29-year-old, who was selected by Nashville with the seventh overall pick in the 2008 draft, has scored half of his eight goals this season on the power play. Nathan MacKinnon, who trails Rantanen by three points and also has recorded 18 multi-point efforts, had his seven-game streak (two goals, 10 assists) come to an end on Friday.

ABOUT THE COYOTES (14-18-2): Ekman-Larsson has scored three of his four goals this season on the power play, and his 47 man-advantage tallies since the start of the 2013-14 campaign are the most among NHL defensemen. Clayton Keller shares the team lead with eight goals but is in the midst of a nine-game drought. Half of the tallies netted by the 20-year-old, who is 10 points shy of 100 for his career, have been game-winners.

OVERTIME

1. The Coyotes have lost four straight and eight of their last nine at home (1-7-1).

2. Avalanche D Anton Lindholm was recalled from the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League on Friday and blocked one shot in 7 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time against Chicago in his season debut.

3. Arizona recalled LW Michael Bunting, who recorded one goal over his first three NHL games earlier this month, from Tucson of the American Hockey League.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 5, Coyotes 2