Ducks at Coyotes
The Anaheim Ducks are starting to realize the potential that many believed would make them a Stanley Cup finals contender as they visit the improving Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Anaheim shut out Dallas 2-0 on Wednesday for its season-high fourth straight victory, moving into third place in the Pacific Division with backup goaltender Ryan Miller a big reason for the uprising.
"We recognize where the season is at," Miller told reporters after stopping 41 shots Wednesday in place of No. 1 John Gibson, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. "Our game has been pretty good. We had a couple tough outings on the road and then we kind of got it together. It's been consistent for the last two weeks." Arizona owns the NHL's worst record but was riding a season-high four-game winning streak and 5-0-1 in their previous six games before Calgary handed it a 5-2 loss Thursday. "You've got to flush this one down and get ready for back-to-back on the weekend,'' Coyotes center Derek Stepan told reporters after scoring his 11th goal among his season-high seven shots. "That's the good thing about three (games) in four (days) is you get to play right away." The Ducks won the first two of four meetings this season - both in Anaheim - 5-4 in the season opener for both teams Oct. 5 and 5-2 on Dec. 31, giving them seven wins in the last eight encounters.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FS Arizona Plus
ABOUT THE DUCKS (31-20-11): Miller (8-4-5, 2.46 goals-against average, .925 save percentage) relieved Gibson for the third period of Monday's 2-0 victory at Vegas on Monday, stopping 20 shots, as Anaheim hasn't allowed a goal in 121 minutes, 51 seconds. Rickard Rakell (team highs of 22 goals, 48 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in three of his last four games but recorded three goals and two assists versus the Coyotes this season. Ryan Getzlaf (38 points in 38 games) scored his first goal in eight games Wednesday - his eighth career short-handed tally - and has three points in his last two contests.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (17-33-10): Clayton Keller (team highs of 17 goals, 44 points) has been kept off the scoresheet over the last two games after recording three goals and five assists in his previous five contests as his solid rookie season continues. Stepan (38 points), who shares the team lead in assists (27) with Keller, has two goals and six assists in his last eight games. Kevin Connauton scored Thursday, giving him five goals in 10 February games, while fellow defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (NHL-worst minus-37) has five assists in his last three contests.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim RW Corey Perry (12 goals, 33 points) has recorded only one goal in his last six games after scoring three in the first five February contests.
2. Arizona is 3-9-5 versus the Pacific, with two of the victories (San Jose, Edmonton) in its last three such games.
3. The Ducks are 2-for-16 on the power play in their last seven contests and 19-for-20 on the penalty kill during that span.