Phoenix Coyotes @ Minnesota Wild: Game 14

Phoenix Coyotes (8-6-0) vs Minnesota Wild (8-4-1)

Xcel Energy Center @ 7:00 CST

Television: FSN (HD)
Radio: WCCO 830. Listen live at wccoradio.com

For the Phoenix perspective, check out Coyotes Hip Check

Tonight's lines:

NOTES:

• The Wild look to make it nine straight wins over the Phoenix Coyotes.
• Coach Jacques Lemaire scrambled all his forward lines today, and that meant the line of Andrew Brunette-Mikko Koivu-Antti Miettinen landed on three different lines. Koivu skated with Nolan and Bouchard, and Brunette and Eric Belanger skated with a right wing named Brent Burns.
• Gaborik is expected to miss his 12th straight game on Thursday with a lower-body injury while Burns will return after sitting out the past four contests with an upper-body injury.
• Owen Nolan was reactivated and Krys Kolanos was sent back to Houston. Too bad, as I thought the kid had been playing really well.
  
• Brent Burns dressed for defense this morning, but lined up on the wing. He hasn’t practiced as a defenseman all week and Lemaire wanted him to get used to it again since he’ll play both positions tonight.
• The Coyotes will be playing on back-to-back nights after winning 5-2 at Columbus on Wednesday.

• Shane Doan leads Phoenix with nine goals and is tied for the team lead with 16 points. "He's playing as good as I've ever seen him," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said.

• Ilya Bryzgalov has never beaten the Wild, going 0-5-0 with a 3.28 GAA in six games.

• The Wild have 10 of their next 12 at home.
  

Questions to Answer

1. Will the line shuffle work out?
   Does Burns get burned out playing both winger and defense tonight, his first action in over a week?
   Will these two teams (1st and 3rd in the conference in goals against) put up as many together as the Pens did last night (7)?
   Can Bryzgalov get his first career win against the Wild?
   Will Peter Mueller shine in front of the hometown crowd?

Jacques Lemaire Pre-game Interview