(AP) -- Undefeated at home for more than a month, the Anaheim Ducks are also finding ways to win on the road.
The Ducks look to conclude a
three-game trip with a sixth straight victory overall and second in
seven days over the surging St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
Anaheim (20-3-3) was mired in an 0-1-2
road stretch before posting consecutive 2-1 victories at Minnesota and
Dallas. Andrew Cogliano scored in regulation, Bobby Ryan and Ryan
Getzlaf converted in the shootout and Jonas Hiller made 33 saves against
the Stars on Thursday.
The Ducks have pulled within four points of NHL-leading Chicago by going 7-0-2 in their last nine.
Though Anaheim has played well, it
also was the benefactor of some good fortune Thursday. Dallas missed
five breakaways, hit the goal post or crossbar three times and had the
potential go-ahead goal disallowed.
"Is it better to be good than lucky or
is it better to be lucky or whatever the phrase is," Ducks coach Bruce
Boudreau said. "But I mean, when you're playing really good, things seem
to go off the post, because maybe that's all they have to shoot at. I'd
rather take that than the alternative, because we've been on the other
side of it."
Anaheim is 11-2-1 when its opponent
scores first - the most such victories by a club through the first 26
games since the start of the 1987-88 season.
Hiller has a 1.82 goals-against average during a 7-0-1 stretch.
"If you're fighting hard and doing the
right things, things will go your way," said Hiller, who could make his
fourth straight start while rookie Viktor Fasth continues to deal with
an upper-body injury.
"Definitely I feel pretty good right
now and I'm confident in how I'm playing, but at the same time, I know
I'm playing well because I'm battling, I'm pushing myself and that's
when you get lucky."
Anaheim snapped a five-game skid at
St. Louis with a 6-5 shootout win Feb. 9. It recorded its 11th straight
home victory Sunday, 4-2 over the Blues (15-10-2) as Cogliano scored and
Hiller made 29 saves.
Corey Perry had two goals in the
first matchup but will serve the second game of a four-game suspension
for a hit on Minnesota's Jason Zucker on Tuesday.
Ryan has three goals and two assists
against the Blues this season, and six goals and five assists in his
last six in the series overall.
The loss to the Ducks last weekend is St. Louis' only blemish in the past five games.
Chris Stewart had two goals and an
assist, Alex Steen recorded one with two assists in his return from an
eight-game injury absence and rookie Jake Allen made 28 saves in a 3-0
win over Phoenix on Thursday.
The Blues have scored 11 goals while
matching a season high with three straight home wins. They clamped down
defensively against the Coyotes in front of Allen, who recorded his
first career shutout while improving to 7-1-0 with a 2.33 GAA.
"I think we see the value of work and
compete," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "I think we're starting to trust
the fact that the score will take care of itself if we compete at this
level and play at this level."
Allen has a 1.99 GAA during a four-game winning streak.
Stewart has six goals and six assists
in six games. He had one goal and two assists against the Ducks at home
last month but was held without a point Sunday.
