Today on FOX Sports Arizona Plus: Coyotes at Lightning, 5:30 p.m.
By JEFF BARTL
STATS Writer
The Phoenix Coyotes' hot streak has propelled them into the upper tier of the Western Conference standings. If the Tampa Bay Lightning continue their slump, their Southeast Division lead may disappear.
Phoenix looks to continue its longest winning streak of the season Wednesday night when it visits struggling Tampa Bay.
The Coyotes (33-19-9) won their sixth consecutive one-goal game Tuesday with a 3-2 overtime victory against Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia. It was Phoenix's eighth straight win overall, its longest run since a nine-game winning streak last March 4-21.
The Coyotes remained third in the tightly-packed West.
Captain Shane Doan, who doesn't have a goal in 19 career games against the Lightning, scored 2:41 into overtime. Barring an unexpected change, he'll break the Phoenix/Winnipeg franchise record Wednesday with his 1,099th career game played with the team.
"It's fun," Doan said. "We challenge ourselves so much. (Ilya Bryzgalov) was phenomenal again. When you have someone like him playing in net, you always feel like you have a chance, no matter how you're playing.
"We've got a lot of room to improve. We're not happy with the way that one finished, with them getting the extra point. But (we won)."
Bryzgalov made 37 saves and improved to 8-0-0 with a 1.60 goals-against average during the winning streak. He made 20 saves Oct. 30 in a 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay, falling to 2-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA in three career starts against the Lightning.
The Coyotes have won eight of nine on the road, while Tampa Bay is nearing the end of its NHL record-tying 12-game homestand.
The Lightning (34-18-7) are 5-3-2 on their homestand and have lost three straight, including a 3-2 shootout defeat to Florida on Saturday. Clinging to the No. 2 seed in the East, Tampa Bay is now just one point ahead of second-place Washington in the Southeast.
"It's a tough one to take," coach Guy Boucher said after the loss to the Panthers. "We outshot them, out-chance them. They scored on the same shots we made, but ours didn't go in."
Martin St. Louis assisted on Marc-Andre Bergeron's first-period goal, which gave him seven assists in his last six games. Vincent Lecavalier hasn't scored in two straight after netting a goal in each of his previous four contests.
Steven Stamkos scored in the teams' first meeting and leads the league with 40 goals. However, he hasn't scored in five straight - his longest drought since going scoreless in six consecutive games Jan. 18-Feb. 1.
Stamkos went hard into the boards midway through the first period Saturday and left the ice, but returned shortly afterward. The Tampa Bay center isn't expected to miss any time and appeared to be skating fine despite the scare.
Dan Ellis made 24 saves and earned his first shutout with the Lightning in the first meeting with the Coyotes. Teammate Dwayne Roloson is 1-3-1 with a 4.52 GAA in his last five starts overall, but is 7-1-0 with a 2.61 GAA in his last eight against Phoenix.
These teams have split their last four meetings after Tampa Bay won the previous six.
The Lightning are trying to avoid their first four-game home skid since March 14-20.
