Coyotes, Sabres just looking for positives (Mar 20, 2018)

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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Arizona Coyotes will spend all but two of their final 10 games of the season away from home -- and they will begin a six-game road trip on Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

The game features two teams in the race for the top overall pick in this summer's draft, with Arizona (24-37-11) and Buffalo (23-37-12) sitting at the bottom of the league standings. Both the Coyotes and Sabres are looking to find some positives to end the season in what has otherwise been a forgettable year.

Arizona is coming off a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday night. In that game, Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his 100th NHL goal for the game-winning strike. He became the sixth Swedish defenseman to ever reach 100 goals in the league. He also added an empty-net goal to end the game.

"It means a lot," Ekman-Larsson said, according to the team's website. "Obviously it means I'm doing something good out there and I've been fortunate enough to play with some good players that have been setting me up. ... It means a lot to score on Mike (Smith). Obviously we've played with each other and now we're playing against each other. It was a fluky goal. ... I saw it went in and it was a great feeling. I was just happy."

Ekman-Larsson needs eight more goals to surpass Teppo Numminen for most goals by a Coyotes defenseman.

"I obviously play a lot of minutes and I'm out there when you can win the games and you can lose the games," Ekman-Larsson said, according to the team's website. "That's why I'm here and I've been fortunate to get some good looks and game-winners."

Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet is expected to rejoin the team after missing Monday's game to attend his mother's funeral.

Clayton Keller leads the Coyotes in scoring with 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 72 games. Antti Raanta has a save percentage of .925 in 41 games played.

The Sabres got a boost on Saturday with the return of top center Jack Eichel in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks but had a much more difficult time against the Nashville Predators on Monday night, falling 4-0.

Eichel briefly tweaked his previously injured ankle after returning against Chicago, which has led to questions as to whether Eichel returned too soon or if he should have returned at all this season with little on the line for Buffalo. Eichel responded to those questions on Tuesday.

"It's been frustrating for myself to get that question, because it's a pretty simple answer to be honest with you," Eichel said, according to the team's website. "I'm playing because I'm a hockey player. It's kind of ridiculous for somebody to think we're out of the playoffs and we don't have an opportunity to really do anything with our season that I would just pack my year in. It's not who I am as a person, it's not who I've ever been, it's not who I am as a hockey player."

Eichel leads the Sabres in scoring with 54 points (22 goals, 32 assists) in 57 games.