"Consistency is a word coaches and players often toss around when pinpointing reasons for success and failure. It's seldom a misnomer, and for the Coyotes it is a stark example of why they are struggling to get back into the playoff picture.

In the past two seasons, in which they compiled 107 and 99 points, respectively, to earn postseason spots, the Coyotes put together win streaks of nine and seven games. This time around, they have won three in a row only one time.

On the points scale, after 51 games, they have 52 points, 11 fewer than in 2009-10, and seven points off their pace from a season ago."