Ducks Beat Up Coyotes and Win

The Mighty Ducks took every shot, crack across the back and stick in the head that the Phoenix Coyotes could deliver Sunday, and nearing game’s end, there was only one thing left to do:

Smirk.

Ducks 5, Coyotes 1.

The numbers certainly looked good to the Ducks up on the America West Arena scoreboard. Who could blame them for feeling full of themselves as the final seconds ticked past?

Feeling smuggest of all was left wing Jim McKenzie, who had just whistled a slap shot past Coyote goaltender Jimmy Waite for the Ducks’ fifth goal.

McKenzie then did what came naturally as he waited for the ensuing faceoff, turning to face his former Coyote teammates on their bench and smirking his best smirk.

Was that directed at Keith Tkachuk, the Coyotes’ captain and the Ducks’ chief tormentor Sunday?

“Yes,” McKenzie said, smirking ever more at game’s end. “We were going back and forth at each other the whole game. He’s like an endorsement for Jack in the Box over there with that big pumpkin [head] on his shoulders.

“Of course, we are friends. We played together for four years.”

Ted Drury, Teemu Selanne and Steve Rucchin, who scored twice, had the Ducks’ other goals before a crowd of 16,210. Bob Corkum scored the Coyotes’ only goal, ending goalie Guy Hebert’s shutout bid with 4:24 left in the game.

Tkachuk, who leads the Coyotes with 20 goals, was a factor from start to finish, but mostly because of his highly aggressive play.

“It was a physical game, it was a playoff-type game. . . .”Tkachuk said.

The Ducks took two victories home with them late Sunday.

First, they won as many battles as could be expected in a particularly physical game that often threatened to spiral out of the control of referee Paul Stewart.

Second, they thumped the Coyotes for their fifth and perhaps most impressive victory in their last six games.

Certainly, item No. 1 had everything to do with item No. 2.

Instead of standing around like wallflowers, as they were often accused of doing last season, the Ducks fought back with some overly-aggressive play themselves.

Duck defenseman Ruslan Salei high-sticked Phoenix center Mike Stapleton in the face in the first period, sending him to the dressing room.

Later, Coyote center Tavis Hansen injured Duck defenseman Jamie Pushor’s left shoulder with a hard check from behind in the third period.

Neither Stapleton nor Pushor returned to the game. Theirs were the most serious injuries, although many others had ice packs on bruises and welts at game’s end.

Phoenix General Manager Bobby Smith was so upset about Salei’s play against Stapleton that he phoned NHL punishment czar Colin Campbell before the first period was done.

Campbell promised Smith he would review the play.

“I think it was frustration on their part,” Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg said when asked about what caused the chippy play.

“Maybe they thought they could intimidate us. They certainly couldn’t.”

They couldn’t stop the Ducks’ second line of Rucchin, Marty McInnis and Tomas Sandstrom either.

The Coyotes did a fine job slowing the Selanne-Paul Kariya-Matt Cullen line, but had no answer for the second line. Rucchin’s goals were his 19th and 20th, a career high.

Sandstrom added three assists and McInnis also had an assist.

The Ducks led, 1-0, after the first period and by 2-0 after two periods en route to improving to 2-0-2 against Phoenix this season.

They also are 5-2-4 against Pacific Division opponents.

Predictably, Hartsburg believed the Ducks could have been better.

But even he couldn’t deny this was one of their better efforts this season.

“We had a good start, lapsed there a bit in the middle and had a good finish,” he said. “The score makes it look like one of our best games, but it really wasn’t.”

The Ducks have another chance to please Hartsburg tonight, when they play the Kings at the Great Western Forum.

The question is: Will the Ducks have anything left after defeating Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia, 5-4, Wednesday, losing to Western Conference-leading Dallas, 3-2, Friday and defeating Phoenix on Sunday?

Defenseman Kevin Haller doesn’t expect a letdown.

“It’s great,” he said winning two of three against the NHL’s top teams. “It’s a huge confidence boost for everybody.”