Arizona @ Vancouver preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 25, 2018 ) Vancouver 1, Arizona 4

Vancouver's Elias Pettersson, the prohibitive favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie, will not play when the Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Pettersson was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after he was injured during last Thursday's 2-0 loss in Montreal but Vancouver coach Travis Green and the rest of the organization are breathing a sigh of relief.

“(Pettersson has a) slight sprain in his MCL, it’s not too bad,” Green told reporters about the 20-year-old Swede, who leads all rookies and the Canucks with 22 goals and 42 points. “Probably as good news as we could have hoped for. ... We’re not going to rush him back. He’ll be back when he’s good and ready.” Arizona received worse news Wednesday when it was announced that Nick Schmaltz, who recorded five goals and 14 points in 17 games since being acquired from Chicago, will miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury. "Nick came to us and was the dynamic, difference-making forward we had hoped he would be," Coyotes general manager John Chayka told the team's website. "He's a big loss for our team, but the injury provides more opportunity for our young players. The group has done an admirable job of filling in and competing hard every night." Vancouver sits just outside of playoff position as it begins a six-game homestand after completing a 3-3-0 road trip with a 5-0 loss to Toronto on Saturday while Arizona - five points behind the Canucks in the Pacific Division - salvaged the finale of a four-game homestand (1-2-1) with a 5-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)

ABOUT THE COYOTES (18-21-3): Rookie winger Conor Garland, whose broken hand in the preseason delayed his NHL debut until mid-December, has three of his five career goals in his last two games after scoring twice Sunday. Alex Galchenyuk has four of his seven goals and six of his 14 assists in the last eight contests. Arizona is third-worst in the league at 2.52 goals per game with Brad Richardson (11) and Christian Fischer (10) the only players with double-digit goals while Clayton Keller leads the club with 30 points after recording his ninth tally Sunday.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (20-21-4): Adam Gaudette, who has seven points in seven games with AHL Utica this season, was recalled to take Pettersson's spot on the roster and could receive more opportunities than he got while recording two goals and six points in 31 games with the big club this season. Bo Horvat is second on the team in goals (17) and points (36) but recorded only one assist in the last five games and hasn't scored in seven. Brock Boeser, the 2018 Calder Trophy runner-up, has 14 goals and 28 points but has been kept off the scoresheet in the last two games after recording two tallies and three assists in his previous four contests.

OVERTIME

1. The Coyotes boast the top penalty-killing unit in the league at 88.4 percent and face a power play that is 4-for-33 in the last nine games.

2. Arizona D Kevin Connauton (plus-1 in 33 games) has missed the last two contests with a lower-body injury.

3. The Coyotes prevailed in the first of four meetings this season 4-1 on Oct. 25 behind 27 saves by Darcy Kuemper, improving to 5-1-1 in the last seven encounters with Vancouver.

PREDICTION: Canucks 3, Coyotes 2