Mike Smith will man the cage for the Coyotes in Thursday's game against the Rangers, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports.

Smith will man the cage for the Coyotes in Thursday's game against the Rangers, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports.

Analysis:

Smith has lost his last six starts while conceding at least three goals in four of those outings. Needless to say, he doesn't make for a strong starting option against a Rangers attack that's averaging 3.10 goals per game, good for third in the league.