Preview: Coyotes Face Ducks in Anaheim on Friday

Dec. 29, 2023 | 8:00 pm MST | Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.

WHERE TO WATCH:
• Antenna: 61.1 Phoenix, 9.2 Tucson
• Phoenix Cable: Cox 95
• Phoenix Satellite: DirecTV Channel 61, Dish Network Channel 61
• Bullhead City / Lake Havasu: Optimum channel 6
• Flagstaff: American Cable channel 4, Optimum Cable channel 6
• Maricopa: Orbitel channel 11
• Pinal County: Mediacom channel 13
• Prescott: Sparklight channel 61
• Sedona: Optimum Cable channel 6
• Show Low / Winslow Sparklight channel 61
• Tucson: Cox channel 85, Xfinity channel 1179, Orbitel channel 208

WHERE TO LISTEN:
• Radio: KTAR News 92.3 FM
• Stream: Arizona Coyotes App, NHL Mobile App

Fresh off a thrilling 5-4 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, the Arizona Coyotes close out the 2023 calendar year against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday at Honda Center. Arizona returns home to open a five-game homestand Tuesday, beginning against the Florida Panthers.

The Coyotes and Ducks meet for the third-and-final time this season – Arizona won the first game 2-1 at Mullett Arena on Oct. 21, while Anaheim prevailed 4-3 in overtime at Honda Center on Nov. 1. Troy Terry recorded a four-point night in that one, registering a hat trick and an assist. 

Defenseman Sean Durzi notched one goal and three assists in Arizona’s come-from-behind win over Colorado on Wednesday and has recorded at least one point in three straight games. His seven points since Dec. 21 are the third-most in the entire league.

“He has a good sense offensively,” Coyotes head coach André Tourigny said. “He’s a tremendous kid. He wants to be better, he’s a guy who soaks up the information and is a student of the game, so there’s a lot of positive things there.”

Goalie Connor Ingram is expected to get the start in net, and the 26-year-old is 12-7-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. He is 0-1-1 with a 2.93 GAA and .931 SV% against the Ducks in his career, and has yet to face them this season.

Player to Watch: Forward Lawson Crouse had two goals against the Ducks the last time the two teams played, and leads the team with 15 goals this season.

ABOUT THE DUCKS
The Ducks are 13-21-0 this season, currently sitting in seventh place in the Pacific Division. They most recently won 5-2 at home against Vegas, and have won three of their last five games overall.

“It’s going to be a competitive game, any time we play Anaheim it’s always a battle,” Crouse said. “We have to be ready, obviously another big two points on the line, and it’s something that we need in the standings.”

Frank Vatrano leads the way with 25 points, though Mason McTavish and Terry are close behind, with 24 and 22, respectively. Vatrano’s 16 goals are the most on the team, while Ryan Strome and rookie Pavel Mintyukov own the team-lead in assists with 16 each.

Anaheim ranks 29th in goals-for per game (2.65) and allows the 11th-most goals per game (3.32), while both their power play and penalty kill rank 15th with success rates of 21.50 and 79.87, respectively. The Ducks have allowed at least one power-play goal in four consecutive games.

“They work extremely hard, they’re a man-on-man team that plays with a lot of pace,” Tourigny said. “They bring you into a hard-working game. You need to make sure you manage the puck and the game the right way, and they’re young and extremely talented.”

Lukáš Dostál was in net for both games against the Coyotes this season, and is 6-8-0 with a 3.65 GAA and .893 SV% this season. He has shared duties with John Gibson, who has posted a 7-13-0 record with a 2.80 GAA and .908 SV%.

Gibson is expected to start tonight, and the veteran netminder is 9-4-5 with a 2.43 GAA and .918 SV% in his career against the Coyotes.

Player to Watch: Terry, who has six goals an 10 assists in 20 games against Arizona.