"Every team welcomed the five-day NHL All-Star break, but the Coyotes probably embraced it more than any other.

"In our situation, we needed the break bad," coach Dave Tippett said. "Our group has been exhausted for a couple of weeks.

"I think within a six-week period, we were 28,000 miles traveled, which is unheard of in the league. I can't ever remember a stretch like this."

With that odyssey behind them, the Coyotes conclude the season with 18 of 32 games on home ice, including five of their next six -- a crucial juncture as they try to climb the standings in the Western Conference. That quest will start Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks."