After a night off to enjoy the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl victory, the Phoenix Coyotes will get back to the NHL grind on Monday, when they host the Colorado Avalanche.
The Coyotes most recently met the Avs in their final game before the All Star Break. That game ended in a 5-2 Coyotes rout.
As both teams head into Monday's game, neither is particularly excited lately. Both are 4-6 in their last 10 and the Avalanche are coming off of a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Fans did get a bit of a mental boost however, with the news of a return from longtime Avs forward Peter Forsberg. He won't play Monday in Phoenix, but could play sometime on the road trip.
The Coyotes fortunes on Saturday were a bit different, though their offensive output wasn't much more impressive. Just one goal proved to be the deciding factor in Sautrday's tilt with the Minnesota Wild, with the Coyotes winning 1-0 on a Taylor Pyatt goal.
Each team boasts at least one player lighting up the stat sheet, who could be the deciding factor on Monday.
For Phoenix, that player is Keith Yandle. Yandle was on absolute fire during his 10-game point streak, with 15 points over that span. His 45 points are still top among d-men despite the fact that Yandle has gone two games in a row with a point.
In Colorado, the veteran forward Milan Hejduk is on a nice little streak of his own. The soon-to-be-35-year-old has eight points in his last eight games, with an even split between goals and assists. His 44 points trail only the youngster Matt Duchene for the team lead.
While the Coyotes do head into Monday's game sitting in 7th in the Western Conference, there's a chance for some movement if they can come away with two points against the Avs. A win would jump them over division rivals Anaheim and the San Jose Sharks, while a win and loss by the Nashville Predators would put them in a tie for fourth in the West.