NHL Preview: Phoenix Coyotes at Colorado Avalanche – Avs Favored
Team Page: Phoenix :: Colorado
58% of Bets Placed on Avalanche -160 | Matchup | Goalies
If this road trip goes nearly as well as their last one, the Phoenix Coyotes could end up recording the longest road winning streak in franchise history.
They will notch their longest one since the club relocated to Arizona if they can win on the Colorado Avalanche’s home ice on Wednesday for the first time in more than six years.
Oddsmakers have made Colorado -160 money line (NHL Odds)
favorites for todays game, the over/under has been set at 6.5 total goals (View NHL Sports Books).
The Coyotes’ current run of six consecutive road victories is their longest since winning six in a row from Oct. 26-Nov. 28, 1998, during the team’s third season in Phoenix after moving from Winnipeg. The franchise record is eight straight, accomplished during the 1984-85 season.
The current streak includes a five-game road trip earlier this month that saw the Coyotes (21-22-2) give up more than two goals only once as they won at Washington, Carolina, Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas.
This four-game trip keeps them out West, with games at San Jose and Los Angeles before ending back in Colorado.
Phoenix, though, has lost five straight at the Pepsi Center and hasn’t won there in nine games (eight losses, one tie) since Oct. 30, 2000. The Coyotes have lost six in a row overall in this series.
The Avalanche (22-20-3), however, have been struggling at home lately, losing four of five while allowing 22 goals. They’ve dropped three of four overall.
The Coyotes had won seven straight overall entering a three-game homestand last week, but lost the first two before beating St. Louis 5-4 in a shootout on Monday.
“Obviously, coming off the road winning seven, you want to do a little bit more than win one at home,” Phoenix captain Shane Doan said. “We did our best to keep that one interesting and took the long way around to win it.”
Doan, who had two assists and converted his shootout attempt on Monday, has eight goals and seven assists in his last 10 games. Ladislav Nagy, who scored the winning goal in the shootout, leads the Coyotes with 35 points and has five assists in his last four outings.
Phoenix has scored at least one power-play in six consecutive games, going 10-for-37 in that span. Defenseman Ed Jovanovski scored two of the team’s three power-play goals on Monday and assisted on the other.
The Avalanche have been one of the league’s worst penalty-killing teams, allowing opponents to score 21.3 percent of the time. They gave up three power-play goals on Monday in a 3-1 loss at San Jose.
Center Joe Sakic, who has 19 goals and a team-leading 49 points, scored Colorado’s only goal.
Peter Budaj, who finished with 39 saves, allowed two goals in the first period while the Avalanche were outshot 21-10.
“Peter was the only chance to keep the score from becoming real ugly,” Colorado coach Joel Quenneville said. “That first 20 minutes was pretty scary.”
Budaj has won all three starts he’s made against the Coyotes, posting a 1.70 goals-against average.
by: Gary Roberts – theSpread.com – Email Us
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