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GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona Coyotes have little left to play for over the final five weeks of the regular season.
Arizona sits 13th in the Western Conference with 53 points while Carolina is last (16th) in the Eastern Conference with 60 points. Neither team will likely make the playoffs as they prepare to face each other for the second time in three days on Sunday at Gila River Arena.
“For the umpteenth time in a row, we’re in this position,” Coyotes goalie Mike Smith said of the team’s five-season playoff drought. “After this long of not making the playoffs, it seems like every year we’re doing the same thing. It’s never fun.”
Arizona traded center Martin Hanzal, right winger Ryan White and defenseman Michael Stone before the March 1 trade deadline, putting them in the position of seller yet again, but coach Dave Tippett said there are tangible goals to be reached before the season finale on April 8 against Minnesota.
“We’re still trying to put a foundation in here,” Tippett said. “They have to work awful hard at that so there’s lots to play for in our group. There’s a lot to work on, and we all understand we’re trying to grow this organization. Everybody has to do their part.”
Left winger Jamie McGinn said players should treat the rest of the season as an audition.
“There’s contracts on the line,” McGinn said. “There are guys looking for jobs. There’s a lot of pride, as well so you don’t want to go out there and embarrass yourself because that’s not what we’re here to do. We’re paid to play to the best of our abilities and try and win hockey games.”
Carolina has lost four in a row and nine of its last 10 games (1-6-3). The Hurricanes have done most of their damage on home ice, where they are 18-10-2, but even that advantage has vanished recently. Carolina is 1-4-1 in its last six home games, including Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Coyotes on the front end of this back-to-back set.
“We need more intensity, more speed and need to bury our chances,” center Jordan Staal told NHL.com. “We need to get around the net, get some greasy goals, get in the goalie’s eyes, all the dirty stuff that we have kind of gotten away from; go hard to the net and create havoc around there.”
Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton (upper-body injury) is week-to-week. Center Alexander Burmistrov is out at least a week with an upper-body injury that looks like a concussion. Center Brad Richardson (fractured tibia and fibula bones in his right leg) is on injured reserve.
Hurricanes left winger Brock McGinn, the brother of Arizona’s Jamie McGinn, is day to day with an upper-body injury and did not make the trip.
Smith is expected to start in goal for Arizona. Cam Ward is expected to start for Carolina.
Coyotes right winger Radim Vrbata, the subject of rampant trade rumors at the deadline, was named an alternate captain for the rest of the season. Vrbata has four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games.
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