Pre-Game Capsule: Coyotes vs. Ducks

GAME 61:
Coyotes (17-33-10) vs. Ducks (31-20-11)
Arizona will play the first game of back-to-back home games when it hosts Anaheim in Glendale for the first time this season on Saturday night.

WHERE: Gila River Arena
WHEN: 6 p.m. (AZ time)
TV: FOX Sports Arizona Plus
RADIO:KTAR News 92.3 FM

KEY FACTS:
• The Coyotes, who will host Vancouver on Sunday night, are 6-2-1 in the first game of back-to-back games this season.
• Arizona has won the special-teams battle vs. Anaheim so far this season; in two games, both played at Honda Center, the Coyotes were 4 for 8 on the power play, and they killed all five of Anaheim's power plays.
• Antti Raanta is expected to start in goal after giving up five goals in a 5-2 loss to Calgary on Thursday night, his first defeat since Feb. 6. Despite that poor outing, Raanta's .921 save percentage ranks ninth among NHL goaltenders who have played at least 30 games.
• Richard Panik will not play because of a lower-body injury. He will be replaced in the lineup by Freddie Hamilton, whom Arizona claimed off waivers on Jan. 4. This will be Hamilton's first game with the Coyotes since being claimed. He was a healthy scratch for his first 19 games on Arizona's roster.

• Oliver Ekman-Larsson will enter the game with a three-game point streak. He's chipped in five assists during that span.
• Kevin Connauton has scored five goals in February. Only Calgary's Dougie Hamilton has scored more goals during this month among NHL defensemen.
• Arizona has taken a 1-0 lead in six consecutive games and posted a 4-1-1 record in those games. Overall, the Coyotes are 13-13-5 when scoring first and 4-20-5 when opponents score first.
• Max Domi has notched 10 points (four goals, six assists) in nine career games vs. Anaheim.
• The Ducks have won a season-high four games in a row and are 6-1-1 in their past eight games, including back-to-back 2-0 shutouts over Vegas and Dallas in their past two games. In fact, Anaheim has not allowed a goal in a span of 157:04 dating to Feb. 17. The goaltending duo of John Gibson and Ryan Miller have combined to make 98 consecutive saves during the shutout streak. Rickard Rakell leads the Ducks in goals (22) and points (48). Ryan Getzlaf, who will play in his 900th game, ranks first on the team with 30 assists, despite missing 24 games because of injuries. Antoine Vermette ranks second in the NHL with a 60.1 percent success rate in the face-off circles.

COYOTE BITES:
• "They've got a lot of older, experienced guys, and they're fighting for a (playoff) spot right now. They're going to be coming to play a good game so we've got to be on our toes right from the start and be prepared against them. I think that's the main thing, just play a full 60 (minutes) and have a good effort." -- Brendan Perlini
• "Anaheim has veteran players. (Ryan) Getzlaf, (Corey) Perry. Just those two alone, if you make one mistake or think you're going to take the puck end-to-end and don't keep it simple, you're going to turn the puck over and they're going to go back the other way. You have to keep it simple. You can't think you're going to dance around." -- Zac Rinaldo
• "They're big and they hold onto pucks. This game is about holding onto pucks and not getting rid of pucks or throwing pucks away. They win battles. I've always said, I think their defense corps is one of the best in the League, and when (John) Gibson is healthy he's a great goalie." -- Rick Tocchet on Ducks