OTTAWA - A pair of struggling clubs will fight for a much-needed win on Saturday afternoon, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Phoenix Coyotes for a battle at Canadian Tire Centre. The Coyotes enter Saturdays matinee on a three-game slide and also have dropped five of seven and nine of their last 13 tilts. Ottawa hasnt fared much better recently, losing two straight as part of a 6-10-2 stretch over its last 18 games. Phoenix has lost the first two tests on a four-game road trip, giving the Coyotes four defeats in their past five games as the guest. The club is only 8-7-4 as the road team this season and will complete the trek Monday in Buffalo. After dropping a 3-1 decision Tuesday in Montreal, the Coyotes were dealt a 2-1 shootout setback by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. James van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul both scored in the shootout to help the Leafs snap a two-game slide with the close win at Air Canada Centre. Martin Hanzal tied the game late in the third for Phoenix, while Mike Smith stopped 26-of-27 shots through regulation and overtime. "We wanted to play a hard road game. Our tempo got better as the game went on. We had multiple opportunities in the third period to tie and then take the lead. We got the one we needed," said Coyotes coach Dave Tippett. "Its a step in the right direction. Were a little banged up and looking for some guys to elevate their game." Coyotes captain Shane Doan has missed the last six games with an illness that Phoenix has categorized as Rocky Mountain fever. Doan is on medication to battle the bacterial disease and his status is considered week-to-week. Defenseman Zbynek Michalek will miss a second straight contest today for the Coyotes and is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. The Senators, meanwhile, could be without forward Mika Zibanejad on Saturday after he sustained an upper-body injury in Ottawas most recent loss, a 4-2 home defeat on Thursday against Florida. Zibanejad, who has eight goals and seven assists this season, is considered day-to-day and will be a game-time decision for this afternoons tilt. Ottawa lost its second straight game in regulation on Thursday despite going into the closing minutes of the third period tied with the Panthers. Tom Gilbert scored the go-ahead power-play goal for Florida with 2:32 remaining in the third and Tomas Kopecky added the insurance tally just 51 seconds later with a shorthanded goal. Chris Neil and Jason Spezza scored for the Senators, who have dropped four of six. Craig Anderson took the loss despite 31 stops. "Its my job to stop the puck," said Anderson. "Its one of those things where we were there, we were close (to winning). But close isnt good enough." The Senators, who began a three-game homestand on Thursday, fell to 7-10-3 as the host this season. Ottawa will close the residency when it welcomes Pittsburgh to town on Monday. Ottawa has gotten the better of the Coyotes in recent years, claiming seven of the past nine overall encounters in this series and winning six straight on home ice. Phoenixs last win in Canadas capital city came on Dec. 12, 1998. cheap jerseys .ca! Kerry, I appreciate the insight that you give to the game and the different perspective that we as fans do not get to experience. My question is about the Rangers/Devils game on Monday night. nfl jerseys china . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. http://www.cheapnfljerseyschinapla... .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to complete a four-game road trip with a third straight victory when they visit the Winnipeg Jets for Tuesdays clash at MTS Centre. [url=http://www.cheapnfljerseyschinaplay.com/]cheap nfl jerseys . Jeff Francis tossed five solid innings and four relievers combined to shut out Philadelphia the rest of the way Thursday night in the Rockies 4-1 victory over the Phillies. wholesale nfl jerseys .J. -- The Peter DeBoer era with the New Jersey Devils is officially only three practices old.HAMILTON, Ont. -- Stevie Baggs time in Steeltown is over. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats released the veteran defensive end Thursday, just over a season-and-a-half after landing him as a free agent. The CFL club also signed defensive end Angelo Craig, Darius Powell and Marc Schiechl. A CFL source requesting anonymity said the Ticats approached Baggs about re-doing his contract, which reportedly paid him about $150,000 annually. When Baggs refused, the club let him go, the source added. A Ticats spokesman denied the claim, saying the club did not approach Baggs about restructuring his deal. "I would like to thank all the fans in Hamilton for their support," Baggs tweeted after the Ticats announced the move. The six-foot-one, 241-pound Baggs signed with Hamilton on Sept. 16, 2010 after being released by the NFLs Arizona Cardinals. He appeared in 25 regular-season games with the Ticats, registering 72 tackles and 10 sacks. Baggs had 50 tackles and five sacks in 18 games wwith the CFL club last season.dddddddddddd The Ticats decision to release Baggs is somewhat curious after the club lost defensive end Justin Hickman, who had a team-high 13 sacks last year, to the NFLs Indianapolis Colts. "Wed like to thank Stevie for his efforts both on and off the field, but we feel that its in the best interests of our football team to move forward with different players on our defensive line," George Cortez, the Ticats new head coach and football operations director, said in a statement. "We wish Stevie all the best in his future endeavours." Baggs, 30, began his pro football career with the Detroit Lions in 2004 as an undrafted free agent. He came to the CFL two years later, arriving in Winnipeg before splitting the 2007 season between the Blue Bombers and Edmonton Eskimos. 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