Sarah McLellan

azcentral sports

Maybe it was the arrival of winger Alex Tanguay, who has been a steady spark plug for the offense.

Or perhaps he finally found a rhythm after a hectic year.

Either way, Coyotes center Antoine Vermette has become one of the team’s most productive forwards of late – encouraging process for the 33-year-old with less than a month left on the regular-season schedule.

“I want to make sure I’m where I want to be at, and it’s been a process,” Vermette said. “But definitely now I feel more and more comfortable and in the right places.”

Before playing the Lightning on Saturday, Vermette had racked up 10 points (five goals and five assists) in his previous six games. The last time he scored 10 points in a six-game span was March 15-27, 2010.

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Vermette’s surge coincides with Tanguay’s addition to the lineup after the veteran was acquired in a trade from the Avalanche on Feb. 29. The two have combined for 17 points in their first six games together.

“We see the game in a similar way,” Tanguay said. “We like to have the puck. We like to make quick passes and from there, I think we’ve been able to find each other at a consistent level. I still think they’ll be improvement in our games as we go along here. It’s only been six games, and I think that we’ll be able to accomplish some nice things. He’s a very good player. He’s a very smart player. He plays very well both sides with and without the puck, and we kind of know where we’re at so it’s been going well.”

The past year has been a busy one for Vermette; after a trade from the Coyotes to the Blackhawks last February, he won his first Stanley Cup, welcomed his second daughter and then re-signed with the Coyotes.

He amassed 15 points October through December but has posted 14 points (seven goals) since February.

“I think there was a lot on his mind coming into the season,” coach Dave Tippett said. “That Stanley Cup hangover, I think that’s a reality for some players and I’m not just talking about Vermy. You look around I think Brad Richards went through some of the same stuff in Detroit. That’s the reality of it. But Vermy’s come around. He’s played very well lately.”

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Rieder contract talks underway

General Manager Don Maloney doesn’t like to negotiate during the season, but the Coyotes have had some preliminary talks with winger Tobias Rieder’s camp on a new contract.

Rieder will be a restricted free agent after this season ends.

“Toby’s a really good player for us,” Maloney said. “We hope to get him signed. We’d like to do it sooner rather than later. Whether it’s a shorter deal or longer deal, we’ll have to just see. We’re open to either way, whatever seems to work for them and us.”

The 23-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Oilers almost three years ago, becoming a mainstay in the lineup since he was called up from the minors in November 2014. He’s already surpassed his point total from his rookie season and entered action Saturday only one goal shy of tying his goal output (13) from 2014-15.

“I’ve known for a while that they’ve kind of been talking to each other,” Rieder said. “It’s good to know, and obviously it’s the first time in my career. So it’s an exciting time, but you just try to focus on (hockey) as much as you can and just let them work it out.”

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Injury update

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson missed a fifth straight game with a bruised shoulder.

Ekman-Larsson will accompany the Coyotes to San Jose and will be evaluated after skating Sunday morning, Tippett said.

The Coyotes recalled defenseman Philip Samuelsson from the American Hockey League Friday on an emergency basis as insurance with a back-to-back set this weekend. A couple players were also "dinged up," Tippett said, but the team kept the same blue line against the Lightning with Samuelsson sitting as a scratch.

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

Coyotes at Sharks

When: 7 p.m.

Where: SAP Center.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Arizona/KMVP-FM (98.7).

Sharks update: The Sharks also played Saturday, edging the Rangers 4-1 in a matinee meeting that was the start of a six-game homestand. San Jose put a season-high 52 shots on net; winger Tomas Hertl had three assists and winger Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist. Overall, San Jose is 15-15-3 on home ice this season. The Sharks trail the Ducks by one point for the second seed in the Pacific Division. They’ve won three of their past four games with their lone loss coming to the Coyotes on Thursday. Pavelski leads the Sharks with 33 goals, while center Joe Thornton has a team-best 69 points.