Ducks Streak Right Past Capitals

The first-place Washington Capitals have their sights set on the Stanley Cup finals, yet the last-place Mighty Ducks looked more like the playoff team.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 33 saves for his second consecutive shutout--and his fourth shutout in 10 games--as the Mighty Ducks won their season-high fifth in a row with Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory.

“Is it for real? Yes it is,” Duck Coach Guy Charron said. “He has played real well and it has brought some confidence to the team. And that’s what good goaltenders do. They know if there is a breakdown there is a chance he is going to make the save and he is going to keep us in there. You don’t get shutouts in this league just by luck.”

Samuel Pahlsson scored on the Ducks’ first shot, and Tony Hrkac scored on the Ducks’ first shot of the second period in a free-flowing game that offered many clean shots at both ends.

Giguere, who shut out Nashville, 1-0, in overtime on Sunday, has five shutouts in nine victories this season and has held the opposition scoreless for 143 minutes, 53 seconds. He has stopped 77 shots in that stretch.

“It’s the combination of a lot of things,” Giguere said. “I see the puck well right now, but my defense is playing great.”

The loss ended the Capitals five-game winning streak.

The Ducks’ five-game winning streak is their longest since a seven-game run from Feb. 20 to March 7, 1999. They have recorded back-to-back shutouts only once before in franchise history, on Dec. 11 and Dec. 13, 1999, when Guy Hebert was the goaltender.