posted February 22, 2008 at 13:50 in NHL Articles

If the Phoenix Coyotes are going to make the playoffs this season they’re going to have to start beating teams other than the Los Angeles Kings. Anyone who’s done any NHL betting on the Coyotes in February knows that has been the only time to count on them.

Phoenix is 2-0 against Los Angeles this month, but just 2-4-2 against the rest of the league. That stretch has pushed the Coyotes outside of the Western Conference’s Top 8, and put their playoff chances in jeopardy. So with the NHL trade deadline coming up next week, do the Coyotes add pieces for the stretch run or simply cruise to the finish?

Well, if you’d asked Coyotes fans at the beginning of the season if they’d be satisfied with a winning record and no playoff spot this year, they’d probably say yes. After, all the team did finish 31-46-5 at the bottom of the conference last season, so expectations for 2007/08 were very low. However, Phoenix turned their year around after acquiring goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, and through their first 61 outings they’ve already got 31 victories.

That might make it tempting for the Coyotes to add a couple of pieces prior to the deadline, especially if they get a couple of wins over the weekend (or if the Flames, Canucks, and Sharks continue to play mediocre hockey). Or, at the very least, it might make them avoid dealing away forwards Radim Vrbata and Steve Reinprecht next week.

Phoenix will kick off their weekend with a home game against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. The Avs are also battling for one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference, and they’re hoping that injured forwards Paul Stastny and Joe Sakic can return to full strength over the next week. Ryan Smyth has already returned to the team.

There are three other games on the NHL’s schedule on Friday - Dallas will play host to

Edmonton, Calgary will get a visit from Detroit, and St. Louis will play down in Anaheim.

Saturday will then feature 11 contests on the ice, including a 1:00pm ET matinee between the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. The last time these division rivals met was back on January 16, when the Islanders pulled out a 3-1 victory. Rick DiPietro had to make 37 saves to preserve that day’s win.

The up-and-down Ottawa Senators will play in Pittsburgh against the Penguins at 3:00pm ET on Saturday, while Chicago and Los Angeles as well as Washington and Carolina will also play late-afternoon games on that day. That Capitals/Hurricanes matchup down in Carolina should have big implications in the tight race for first place in the Southeast.

The other seven Saturday games will take place in the evening, and will include the New York Rangers at Buffalo, Atlanta at Toronto, Columbus at Montreal, Florida at Philadelphia, Boston at Tampa Bay, and Dallas at Nashville. As well, the Detroit Red Wings will be traveling west for a late Saturday matchup with the Vancouver Canucks.

Wayne Gretzky’s Coyotes will be back in action on Sunday, as they’ll play host to the St. Louis Blues. St. Louis has played better over the past two weeks, and a Western playoff berth isn’t out of the question for them either. That game will start at 8:00pm ET.

Afternoon games on Sunday include Calgary at Minnesota, San Jose at Pittsburgh, and New Jersey at Washington, while the Rangers will host Florida in a 7:00pm ET contest. The week will then end with Colorado at Edmonton and Chicago at Anaheim at 8:00pm ET. Check the BetUS NHL lines section for the latest odds and totals for the weekend.

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