Coyotes' Mike Smith: Gets starting nod for Thursday's contest

Smith will defend the net in Thursday's home game against the Coyotes.

Analysis:

Smith has been on fire lately, posting a 2-0-1 record with an excellent 1.62 GAA and .958 save percentage over his last three appearances. The veteran backstop will look to keep rolling in a tough matchup with the red-hot Kings, who have won five of their last six games.