Coyotes at Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are riding high at the Honda Center and will put their seven-game home point streak (6-0-1) on the line Friday against a reeling Arizona Coyotes squad that has lost eight in a row overall. John Gibson has been the primary reason for the Ducks' ascent in the Pacific Division, improving to 4-0-3 in his last seven starts with a 23-save performance in a 2-0 shutout of Detroit on Wednesday.
"I think it's the situation you want to be in," Gibson told the Orange County Register after making his sixth straight start. "You want to be the guy and you want to be the guy that leads the team and helps them win. Helps them get through when times are tough." Times couldn't be much tougher for cellar-dwelling Arizona, which was shut out for the third time since Dec. 6 in a 3-0 loss to Vancouver on Wednesday. The Coyotes' 29th-ranked offense has mustered all of 13 goals during its losing skid and unleashed just 22 shots in a 5-1 loss to Anaheim on Nov. 4.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN West (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (11-22-5): Waiver-wire pickup Alexander Burmistrov has been busy attempting to secure a work visa and could be in line to make his Arizona debut on Friday. "Sometimes a player needs a change of scenery," coach Dave Tippett told AZCentral.com of Burmistrov,a former first-round pick that fell out of favor in Winnipeg. "Might spur a change in him. We took a chance. Sometimes those chances work out; sometimes they don't. But a young player that has some good skill that we're looking for up the middle. We'll give him an opportunity." Burmistrov didn't make much of his opportunities this season with the Jets, recording just two assists in 23 games while serving as a healthy scratch in 10 others.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (20-12-8): Signed to a two-year, $3.5 million deal in the offseason, Antoine Vermette notched two assists on Wednesday to raise his point total to six in his last six games. He also recorded a two-point performance in the first meeting versus his former team in November. Rookie linemate Ondrej Kase scored and set up a goal against the Red Wings and notched an assist against Arizona for his first NHL point while appearing in his second career game. Rickard Rakell (team-leading 16 goals) scored twice and added an assist in his first encounter with the Coyotes, but has been held off the scoresheet in six of his last eight contests.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf (lower body) could be in line to miss his second straight game after failing to skate in Thursday's practice.
2. Coyotes LW Jamie McGinn scored in the first meeting with the Ducks, but has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last nine games.
3. Anaheim G Dustin Tokarski signed a one-year contract extension on Thursday.