(Sports Network) - The Phoenix Coyotes will try to notch at least one point in a seventh straight game, as they visit the Edmonton Oilers tonight at Rexall Place.
The Coyotes, who have missed the postseason in each of the last five seasons, are on their best run since winning a season-high three straight games from November 8-12. They have won two straight for a sixth time this season and are 4-0-2 over their last six games to move within three points of second-place Anaheim in the Pacific Division.
Ilya Bryzgalov has a 1.79 goals against average over Phoenix's six-game point streak and is coming off his first shutout of the season. He stopped all 33 shots faced in Saturday's 2-0 win over Columbus, the sixth blanking of his career.
Steven Reinprecht and Mikkel Boedker lit the lamp for the Coyotes, who are also 5-0-1 in their last six games at home. Phoenix, though, begins a three- game road trip tonight and have dropped three of its last four as the visitor. The Coyotes are 5-9-2 overall as the road team this year.
Shane Doan and Ken Klee assists added assists in Saturday's win. Doan, who leads the Coyotes in goals (14), assists (16) and points (30), has three goals and seven helpers over his last 11 games. He has 42 points in 42 career meetings with the Oilers, posting 10 goals and 32 assists.
Bryzgalov, meanwhile, is just 1-3-0 with a 4.19 GAA lifetime versus Edmonton.
The Coyotes will visit an Oilers squad that is in the midst of playing 12 of 15 at home. They are 1-2-1 in the first four as the host in that stretch, also losing a road game in Vancouver in that span. Edmonton, 4-5-3 as the host this year, will play in Vancouver again on Friday before hosting its next two games to close out 2008.
The Oilers notched a point last time out despite losing for the fourth time in five games, as they dropped a 3-2 shootout decision against the visiting Ducks.
Jonas Hiller tied an Anaheim record with 51 saves and denied all three Oilers in the shootout. The Ducks' Chris Perry, meanwhile, scored on Dwayne Roloson in the extra session to seal it for Anaheim.
Erik Cole and Kyle Brodziak each tallied a third-period goal for Edmonton, while Roloson stopped 34-of-36 shots. Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Ales Hemsky and Sam Gagner all failed to score in the shootout.
Roloson is 9-8-0 with two ties and a 2.55 GAA lifetime against Phoenix.
The Oilers swept their four-game series with the Coyotes last year and have won five of six and eight of the last 10 in the series. That includes wins in two straight and four of five at home.
