Mike Brown's goal in the third period was the
difference as the Anaheim Ducks barely held on for a 4-3 win over the Phoenix
Coyotes at Honda Center.
Teemu Selanne, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry each lit the lamp for the Ducks, who
have won their last two games. Jonas Hiller made 27 saves in the win.
"It's a win, an important one," Hiller said. "We're working on playing three
consistent periods."
Keith Yandle, Scottie Upshall and Shane Doan each had a goal for the Coyotes,
who have dropped three of their last four games. Ilya Bryzgalov made 22 stops
in the loss.
Trailing 4-0 early in the third, Phoenix got into the game thanks to two goals
separated by 38 seconds.
The first came as Yandle picked off an errant pass in the Anaheim end and
quickly flinged a wrister on net from the high slot that beat Hiller to the
glove at 6:27.
Moments later, Matthew Lombardi snuck a pass from the low left boards to the
bottom of the left circle where Upshall switched to the backhand and slid the
disc into the net.
Then skating on the power play, the Coyotes made it a 4-3 game on Doan's fifth
goal of the season with 5:24 to play.
Phoenix pulled Bryzgalov late in the game for the extra attacker, but Anaheim
was able to hold on for the win.
The Ducks got the only goal of the first period and they did so on the power
play as Selanne beat Bryzgalov at the 2:49 mark.
Anaheim made it a 2-0 game with 7:16 to play in the second on Ryan's sixth
goal of the year. With the puck in the Anaheim end, Scott Niedermayer threw a
pass out to the neutral zone for Ryan, who skated unopposed into the Phoenix
end and from the top of the right circle beat Bryzgalov cleanly with a
wrister.
Later in the second, the Ducks took a 3-0 lead as Ryan Getzlaf flipped a
saucer pass from the left side to the slot where Perry redirected it in with
2:53 left in the frame.
Brown gave Anaheim a 4-0 lead just 3:31 into the third as he took the puck
quickly after a left circle faceoff win and quickly snapped the puck into
the net.
"We didn't show much emotion the first two periods," Yandle said. "We played a
good third and we want to build on that."
Game Notes
Anaheim plays at New Jersey Wednesday...Phoenix hosts Montreal on
Thursday...The Ducks have taken five of the last seven games against
Phoenix...The Ducks went 1-for-6 on the power play while Phoenix finished the
game 1-for-2.
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