Maybe the bad news is that the Coyotes -- struggling to stay afloat in the playoff chase in the Western Conference -- have three more home games this week.

A lot went wrong in the past two losses at Jobing.Com Arena, and things like holding a lead at home and getting power-play production will be paramount when they host Anaheim on Tuesday night.

The Coyotes, with 73 points, likely will need to win 11 of the remaining 13 games to have a shot at the final spot in the playoffs.

That may sound a bit improbable, but this is a team that has shown resiliency all year long, and if they can break out of this slump, they at least could make it interesting in the homestretch.

All in all, however, considering they were picked to finish last in the NHL, the Coyotes have surprised a lot of people

SENATORS 4, COYOTES 2: Rookie forward Craig Weller and Peter Mueller scored in a span of 91 seconds in the second period to put the Coyotes up 2-0. An 0-for-7 effort on the power play, plus giving up a shorthanded goal, were the Coyotes' undoing. They have the worst home record (14-17-3) in the NHL.

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.