The Coyotes are four points out of the Western Conference’s second Wild Card spot, but remain in the race with two games in hand. The Penguins are in a similar position, sitting five points out of the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card spot, and they also have four games in hand.
Arizona’s 14 wins at Mullett Arena this season rank near the top of the league, and a win on Monday would tie the 2008-09 season for the second-most home wins through 45 games in team history, behind only the 2009-10 team, which won 16.
“We’ve been playing really good hockey the last three games, and we’ve been playing well at home, too,” forward Dylan Guenther said. “We just want to keep that rolling and take some of that momentum into the quick turnaround out east.”
Goalie Connor Ingram is expected to make his fifth consecutive start tonight after making 30 saves against the Predators on Saturday. He’s 16-9-1 with five shutouts, a 2.49 goals-against average and .919 save percentage this season, and has faced Pittsburgh only once in his career – earlier this season – taking the loss despite stopping 39 of 42 shots.
Player to Watch: Guenther continues to make the most of his call-up, and recorded an assist against the Predators on Saturday. The 20-year-old will be facing the Penguins for just the second time in his career.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS
Pittsburgh most recently dropped a 3-2 game to the Vegas Golden Knights, and has dropped three of its last four games. The Penguins are led by the seemingly ageless Sidney Crosby’s 47 points, whose 26 goals also lead the team.
Jake Guentzel (47), Evgeni Malkin (37), Erik Karlsson (32), and Kris Letang (29) round out the top five in scoring.
“It’s a team that generates a lot of pucks in the blue paint, guys in the back door, and guys on the back side,” head coach André Tourigny said. “They’re really quick on the transition, and they’re a veteran team that manages the puck really well in just about every category.”
