Ducks' Hiller posts shutout against Predators
Jonas Hiller made 40 saves to earn his fifth NHL shutout, Teemu Selanne scored two goals to overtake Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau on the career points list, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the short-handed Nashville Predators, 5-0, on Thursday night.
The shutout was the first for the Ducks since Jan. 17, when Hiller won at Minnesota. He was making his fourth consecutive start since Jean-Sebastien Giguere aggravated a groin injury in a loss to Columbus. The Predators were blanked for the fourth time this season after winning three in a row.
The Ducks had won only once in seven games. Selanne increased his career point total to 1,221, breaking a tie with Beliveau for 38th place. Selanne has played in 1,146 regular-season games, 21 more than Beliveau.
Todd Marchant scored for Anaheim, snapping his 13-game point drought from the start of the season. Bobby Ryan also had a goal, and Saku Koivu and Ryan Getzlaf each had two assists.
The Predators, who began this four-game road trip averaging the second-fewest penalty minutes in the NHL (9.2), gave Anaheim a two-man advantage for 22 seconds after penalties to Jordin Tootoo and Kevin Klein.
The Ducks capitalized 4 seconds after the first penalty expired, as Selanne got a pass in the slot from Getzlaf and beat Pekka Rinne at 15:32 of the first period. Rinne finished with 27 saves.
Anaheim then scored twice off turnovers in the Nashville zone with the teams skating 4-on-4. Koivu set up Selanne's eighth of the season and second of the game, and Marchant made it 3-0.
Defenseman Shea Weber, right wing J.P. Dumont and rookie center Colin Wilson, who all played in the Predators' previous game, sat out because of injuries. Weber bruised a foot while blocking a shot, Dumont was hurt during Tuesday's practice, and Wilson had a sore groin.
Teammate Martin Erat missed his third game with a lower body injury, but captain Jason Arnott returned to the Nashville lineup after sitting out six games due to arm and shoulder injuries. Tootoo made his season debut after missing 13 games because of a hip flexor injury and was the 30th player the Predators have used this season, equaling last season's total.
Arnott replaced Weber as the point defenseman on the Predators' power play, which came up empty in five chances.
Anaheim defenseman James Wisniewski completed the two-game suspension he received from the league for delivering a forearm blow to the forehead of Phoenix's Shane Doan during last Saturday's shootout loss.
NOTES: A moment of silence was held for the victims of Thursday's shooting at an Army base in Fort Hood, Texas. ... Selanne's 587 goals are the most among active players and 18th best overall. ... The Ducks are 17-1-3 against the Predators in Anaheim. Their only regulation loss was Jan. 31, 2001. ... Hiller's only other game against the Predators was Dec. 8, 2007, in a 4-2 loss.
