Since the Dallas Stars didn't do the Coyotes any favors and won on Tuesday night, Phoenix will look to clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. The Yotes head into Wednesday's affair tied with the Kings at 96 points, but the Coyotes' own the tiebreakers with LA, leaving them in fifth.
The Coyotes will inch closer to being completely healthy heading into the postseason, with a trio of guys set to return against the Kings. Ed Jovanovski and Lauri Korpikoski are both expected to come back from their respective injuries, while Taylor Pyatt is expected to also play after missing Friday's game.
The injury news isn't so good for the Kings, who recently lost a key player in forward Anze Kopitar. LA's offense has struggled without its star forward, scoring just seven goals in four games, including only one in their most recent 6-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
Phoenix's biggest problem recently has been their inability get off to a strong start in games. That was especially evident in their shootout loss to Colorado on Friday. That loss makes Wednesday's game a crucial one, with an opportunity to jump back into the No. 4 spot to the winner in Los Angeles.