The Anaheim Ducks' inconsistent play at the offensive end has made for some frustrating times recently, but at least they've been able to count on some solid goaltending - no matter who's in net.
That's bad news for a Winnipeg Jets team struggling to score lately.
Anaheim begins a five-game road trip through Canada looking to beat the Jets for the 10th straight time Sunday.
The Ducks (39-22-9) have dropped four of their last six, scoring two or fewer goals in each defeat. They've been efficient offensively in each victory, though, beating New Jersey 7-1 on Monday before a 4-0 win over Boston on Friday.
Coach Bruce Boudreau tinkered with his lines against the Bruins and put Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf together. Both assisted on Jamie McGinn's goal in the first before Getzlaf added another assist on Hampus Lindholm's third-period tally.
"It's always good to go on the road trip feeling good with a win, especially one that's going to be as tough as this one," Boudreau said. "If you go in and you'd lost two in a row, then all of a sudden it's a different mindset. But we have a better mindset going into Winnipeg."
Frederik Andersen got the start in net after John Gibson said he was feeling ill shortly before faceoff. Andersen made 38 saves in his fifth career shutout and is 15-1-1 with a 1.80 goals-against average in 16 starts and two relief efforts since Jan. 13.
Gibson ranks among the league leaders with a 2.07 GAA, giving Anaheim a solid tandem in net that has allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of the last 14. Boudreau said there's a good chance both will get starts in the playoffs.
''It doesn't happen too often, but I don't think too often you have goalies as equal as we have,'' Boudreau said. "Both goalies are pushing each other to be better every night. When that happens, you're going to be successful."
Andersen was in net exclusively in last year's playoffs as the Ducks came within a victory of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. That run included a first-round sweep of the Jets, giving Andersen a 2.45 GAA while winning all eight of his career starts against Winnipeg.
Gibson made 19 saves to beat the Jets (29-37-5) in the first meeting Jan. 3, when Rickard Rakell and Kevin Bieksa had a goal and an assist apiece in a 4-1 victory. It's unclear who will be in goal for this matchup as the Ducks try to avoid a third straight road loss.
They'll face five Canadian teams all outside the playoff picture during this trip that begins at Winnipeg, which has struggled to score in back-to-back defeats. It lost 4-1 at Calgary on Wednesday before Friday's 4-0 home loss to Chicago.
The Jets have gone 4-13-1 in their last 18 at home. Ondrej Pavelec made 32 saves in the opener of a four-game homestand.
''I don't think we played that bad,'' Pavelec said. ''We had some chances, we couldn't score. But 4-0 is 4-0, right? So, you can't really be happy about it."
The Jets have scored fewer than three goals in five of their last seven and have been outscored by 15 during their nine-game skid against the Ducks.
"You've got to put the puck in the net to win hockey games," defenseman Tyler Myers said. "It's tough to chase the game and that's what we ended up doing."
