Florida @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 24, 2018 ) Arizona 2, Florida 4

The Arizona Coyotes have not been a strong team at Gila River Arena most of the season, but they got off to a solid start on their season-high seven-game homestand and look to add another victory when they host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The Coyotes, who are three points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference despite owning a 12-14-3 record at home, opened their run of games in Arizona with a 4-1 victory over Winnipeg on Sunday.

“Obviously, we know we’ve struggled here (at home) a little bit,” Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse told reporters on Sunday after scoring in his second straight game. “But at the same time, every day is a new day. We want to come out and be a tough team to play against every night, and I think (Sunday) was a good example of that.” Arizona has won three straight games and is 6-2-0 in its last eight as it prepares to take on a Florida team that needs a huge run to get back into playoff contention despite having won five of its last six contests. Mike Hoffman scored the tying goal midway through the third period and set up defenseman Aaron Ekblad’s winner in overtime as the Panthers posted a 4-3 win at red-hot Colorado on Monday to move within eight points of the second wild card in the East. Captain Aleksander Barkov managed just one assist on Monday, ending his four-game multi-point streak, but has scored six goals and set up six others in the last five contests for Florida.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Florida, FS Arizona

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (28-25-8): Barkov tops the team with 65 points and Jonathan Huberdeau is next with 60 but was held off the scoresheet Monday after recording four goals and four assists over his previous four games. Hoffman (team-best 27 goals) has collected nine points in his last six contests and Evgenii Dadonov scored on Monday to extend his point streak to six games. Roberto Luongo moved past Ed Belfour for third place on the NHL’s all-time list with his 485th win on Monday, which could mean backup James Reimer (3-1-0 in his last four games) makes the start versus Arizona.

ABOUT THE COYOTES (29-28-5): Clayton Keller, who tops the team with 39 points, snapped his 13-game goal-scoring drought on Sunday with his 12th of the season, giving him a point for the first time in seven contests. “I think I’ve been playing good hockey. I’m just trying to put more shots on net,” Keller told reporters. “I’ve got a pretty good shot, I think. I need to use to it more. It’s good to see one go in, but more importantly, we got the win.” Alex Galchenyuk is second on the team in scoring (35 points) after recording five goals and four assists over his last eight contests.

OVERTIME

1. The Panthers were busy at Monday's trade deadline, sending C Derick Brassard to Colorado, LW Tomas Jurco to Carolina, Chris Wideman to Pittsburgh and fellow D Bogdan Kiselevich to Winnipeg.

2. Arizona C Christian Dvorak, who underwent surgery on a torn pectoral muscle in October, has been recalled from Tucson of the American Hockey League and is close to making his season debut.

3. The Panthers, who host the Coyotes on March 21, have earned at least one point in each of the last four meetings.

PREDICTION: Coyotes 3, Panthers 2