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Ducks continue their hot start with 6-2 rout

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Times Staff Writer

The Ducks have been raved about from coast to coast and across borders as their consecutive points streak continues to grow. One day, they might allow themselves to be impressed.

With the Phoenix Coyotes offering themselves up like a free buffet, the Ducks had a feast Friday night at the Honda Center as they got goals from six different players in a 6-2 rout in front of an announced crowd of 14,833.

The Ducks have registered a point in all 14 of their games this season, tying the 1943-44 Montreal Canadiens for the second most in NHL history from the start of the season. Now 10-0-4 in continuing their franchise-best start, their 24 points tops the league.

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They can tie the league record set by the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers when they play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. Not that it’s on their minds.

“I don’t think we’re getting too caught up in that,” defenseman Chris Pronger said. “The biggest thing is leading up to this game, we hadn’t played very well. We’re still getting points and winning some games, but we realize we’ve got to get better as a team and continue to improve on a number of things.”

Balance continued to play a major role in their torrid beginning. The Ducks had nine players register points, with Pronger and Teemu Selanne leading the way with a goal and two assists each, making it easy for goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.

Chris Kunitz and Sean O’Donnell also had multiple-point nights and Dustin Penner and Andy McDonald joined in the fun, with McDonald scoring on the first penalty shot of his career.

Selanne, who has goals in consecutive games after a 10-game drought, said he isn’t surprised by the production throughout the lineup.

“It’s a great sign,” Selanne said. “Obviously last year, too many times we were counting on our line for damage and it was maybe too much load for our line.

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“We’re going to need everybody and every line has to find a way to get the damage done.”

The Coyotes (3-10-0) didn’t figure to offer much resistance. They began the game with the NHL’s worst record and were without injured regulars Shane Doan, Steven Reinprecht and Keith Ballard.

Four days of practice that the players likened to a mini training camp after a 7-3 home loss to the New York Rangers did them no good. Phoenix Coach Wayne Gretzky says he is in it for the long haul, but he subjected himself to another blowout.

Of his team’s problems, Coyotes forward Jeremy Roenick said, “I really don’t have enough time to tell you. We can go from injuries right down to lack of discipline to penalties to special teams to goaltending on down. It’s awful.”

The Ducks outclassed them from the second period on, blowing the game open with four goals. Curtis Joseph looked helpless in the net and his defense didn’t provide much assistance.

It got so bad that he threw his stick at McDonald’s shot attempt after the center was left open in the slot. Referee Wes McCauley awarded a penalty shot and McDonald easily scored his fifth goal of the season.

Gretzky saved Joseph from further embarrassment by pulling him in favor of David LeNeveu to start the third period.

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“One bad thing leads to another and then [stuff] gets [worse] real quick,” Roenick said. “You work hard, get a bad break and then this team, the whole thing just shuts down. Real emotionally unstable all the way around.”

Penner started the second-period outburst with a rocket from outside the right circle past Joseph’s glove. Moments later, Francois Beauchemin delivered a clean open-ice hip check on the Coyotes’ Oleg Saprykin that energized the Ducks.

Roenick took exception to the hit as he went after Beauchemin and had words with the defenseman and referee Dean Warren on the way to the penalty box.

Selanne would get his third goal of the season on the resulting power play.

“It was a great hit,” Roenick said. “As a teammate and as a player, you can’t let one of your teammates get hit like that and not say something.”

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eric.stephens@latimes.com

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