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Ducks stretch win streak to 10 with 3-2 overtime victory over Phoenix

Phoenix's Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anaheim's Teemu Selanne fight for the puck at the Honda Center on Saturday night.
(Jeff Gross / Getty Images)
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The Ducks on Saturday picked up where they had left off before their four-day holiday break, though they had to go beyond regulation time to do it.

Saku Koivu recorded the 250th goal of his career by scoring while the Ducks were short-handed in the first period, winger Andrew Cogliano scored in the third and Koivu deflected a shot by defenseman Ben Lovejoy 51 seconds into overtime as the Ducks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes, 3-2, before a standing-room-only crowd at Honda Center. The Ducks extended their winning streak to 10 and their standings-points streak to 13 (11-0-2).

The Ducks improved to 14-0-2 at home. They’re the only NHL team that has not lost in regulation at home this season.

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Goaltender Jonas Hiller made 23 saves for the Ducks, who had a 2-0 lead late in regulation. The Coyotes scored their first goal on an unfortunate bounce. Hiller went out to play the puck in the corner, but it took an odd carom off the boards and skidded into the slot. Martin Hanzal lifted a shot that Hiller got a piece of, but not enough to keep it out at 15:26 of the third period.

Phoenix tied it with 43.8 seconds leftand an extra skater on the ice in place of goalie Thomas Greiss. The goal was originally credited to Keith Yandle, but later awarded to Mike Ribiero on a deflection.

The Ducks have allowed more than two goals only once during their winning streak.

The Coyotes have won only once in their last seven games (1-3-3) and have yet to beat the Ducks this season in four matchups.

The Ducks scored the only goal of the first period.

Jakob Silfverberg was serving a high-sticking penalty when the Ducks got control of the puck and Francois Beauchemin passed it up to Daniel Winnik. He left a drop pass for Koivu, who eluded Radim Vrbata and went to the outside on the left wing, taking a shot that eluded Greiss at 17:08.

It was the 11th short-handed goal of Koivu’s career and his first since Jan. 15, 2010. Winnik and Beauchemin got the assists.

The Ducks’ power play continued to sputter and extended its futility streak to 0 for 20 by failing to capitalize on three advantages over the first two periods. Coach Bruce Boudreau, looking to generate some chances and maybe stir things up a bit, on one power-play unit stationed center Ryan Getzlaf at one of the points, with defenseman Cam Fowler at the other point. The
forwards were Nick Bonino, Corey Perry and Dustin Penner. But even that talented group couldn’t click.

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The second unit, which included Teemu Selanne, had some chances, but Greiss stopped a shot by Selanne with his mask and prevented the Ducks from padding their lead.

The second period was scoreless, but the Ducks took a 2-0 lead early in the third when Cogliano — perhaps unintentionally — redirected a long shot by Winnik past Greiss. The goal was the 11th this season for Cogliano, who has been a spark plug for the Ducks and has meshed well on a line with Winnik and Koivu.

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