Pittsburgh (5-3-2) at Phoenix (3-4-0) 10:00 p.m. EDT
GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- The Phoenix Coyotes have struggled
to score this season, and coach Wayne Gretzky is determined to
fix his team's ailments.
The Coyotes look to put an end to their offensive woes when they
host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
Phoenix has scored four goals in its previous three contests and
is averaging 2.14 goals a game - 28th in the NHL. The Coyotes
have netted only 15 goals this campaign and managed to score six
times in its last three home contests.
In an effort to reverse that trend, Gretzky has decided to
shuffle his offensive lines.
"We've been pretty satisfied with our attention to defensive
detail, especially with such a young group," Gretzky said. "I
just think we need to find some combinations (to score more).
We're just trying to create some offense, which we desperately
need."
Captain Shane Doan, rookie Mikkel Boedker and Peter Mueller are
the team's only players with multiple goals, and Gretzky has
elected to divide the trio among his top three lines.
Pittsburgh also has struggled to score, ranking 23rd in the NHL
with an average of 2.4 goals per game. The Penguins have netted
a total of three tallies in their last two contests - both road
losses.