Ducks at Coyotes
As if the Anaheim Ducks haven’t been on the road enough, they start another rough stretch of five away games in the next seven by visiting the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday. The Ducks played 15 of their first 25 on the road and snapped a five-game winless streak with a 1-0 overtime home victory against Tampa Bay on Friday. The Coyotes’ only regulation loss in the last 11 contests was a 5-2 setback against Anaheim on Nov. 6 and are unbeaten in regulation at home (9-0-2).
Captain Ryan Getzlaf boasts goals in three straight games for Anaheim, including the winner Friday, and has a point in four straight since returning from an upper-body injury. The Ducks will have to deal with a Phoenix team that ranks fourth in the league in scoring and sixth on the power play after finishing 21st and 25th, respectively, last season. Coyotes goalie Mike Smith has lost in regulation only once in his last 16 decisions.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, PRIME (Anaheim), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (16-6-3): Getzlaf is tied for second in the league with 26 points and teammate Corey Perry is close behind with 24. Left wing Dustin Penner is next with 15 points and has a team-best plus-16, but the Ducks have only managed 10 goals over the last six games (1-3-2). Goalie Viktor Fasth suffered a lower body injury in warm-ups Friday and Jonas Hiller came on the post his second shutout of the season, but Anaheim may need to recall a netminder.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (14-4-4): Captain Shane Doan has six goals and nine points during a six-game point streak for the Coyotes, who have tallied 13 times in the last three games. Martin Hanzal leads a balanced scoring attack with 18 points while defensemen Keith Yandle (17) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (16) have been catalysts. Phoenix is 7-of-20 on the power play over the last six games, with Doan collecting six of the team’s 18 goals with the man advantage while Smith has played all eight games in goal this month.
OVERTIME
1. Ducks D Cam Fowler has 12 points, already one ahead of last season in 12 fewer games. He leads the team in average ice time at 22:55.
2. Phoenix LW Lauri Korpikoski missed the 4-3 overtime loss to Colorado on Thursday with an upper-body injury. He is questionable to play on Saturday.
3. Anaheim owns points in five of its last six games against Phoenix, including a shootout win on Oct. 18 at home.