Derick Brassard scores hat trick as Arizona Coyotes rout last-place Ducks
Derick Brassard completed a hat trick early in the second period, and the Arizona Coyotes beat the Ducks 5-1 on Saturday night at Honda Center to end a five-game losing streak.
Jakob Chychrun had a goal and an assist, and Clayton Keller scored for the second straight game. Antti Raanta made 27 saves, allowing only Adam Henrique’s late goal.
“We’ve had our struggles during those two weeks,” Brassard said. “We’re trying to find a solution. We’re trying to improve our game. We have to just to build our game now.”
Ryan Miller was pulled after allowing three goals on 14 shots in the first period for the last-place Ducks (9-17-6). Anthony Stolarz made 12 saves in relief. Anaheim has lost five of six, with the victory coming in overtime Thursday night against Arizona (13-13-5).
William Karlsson had the go-ahead goal, Max Pacioretty scored twice, and visiting Vegas beat the Kings 4-2 on Friday night for its fifth straight win.
“That’s the one problem with the back-to-backs is a lot of times they do end up split, but that’s no excuse for us,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “We have to start games better. It’s as simple as that.”
Brassard completed his first regular-season hat trick with a slap shot from the left dot 36 seconds into the second period to put Arizona up 4-0. Brassard came into the night having played the second-most games by an active player without a hat trick, trailing only Detroit Red Wings center Valtteri Filppula at 1,038 games, but Brassard erased that distinction in his 883rd contest.
“Yeah, it’s a special night, but you’re trying to help the team win any way you can. I was just at the right place at the right time tonight,” said Brassard, who also had a three-goal game in the 2015 playoffs for the New York Rangers.
Coyotes coach Rick Rick Tocchet shuffled three of his lines and two defensive pairings in hopes of creating a spark, but it was the groups that stayed intact that gave them a lead 2:53 into the game when Brassard redirected Chychrun’s shot past Miller.
Highlights from the Ducks’ 5-1 loss to the visiting Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.
Chychrun made it 2-0 at 5:35 on a shot from the point, continuing his breakout season as he ranks fourth among defensemen with eight goals. It was Chychrun’s fifth multipoint game.
Brassard completed the strong opening period by tipping Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s pass to the slot in for the 3-0 lead at 15:22. The power-play goal to end an 0-for-18 drought was Arizona’s first in six games.
“I think it was just everyone just being ready to play, and we got to take a page of that first period and try to bring it on home,” Brassard said.
Phil Kessel had the secondary assist to reach 500 in his career.
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Keller extended the lead to 5-0 at 12:17 of the third period, but Henrique scored at 14:27 to deny Raanta his 14th career shutout.
“Teams adjust,” said Henrique, who scored for the third straight game. “It seemed they were a little more aggressive today than they were the other night, and then maybe we weren’t as aggressive or didn’t work enough certainly in our system the way we did last game. It took us too long to get back in there.”
The Ducks have yet to win consecutive home games this season. Anaheim has allowed at least four goals and been held to one goal or fewer in six of its past 15 home games.
Up next, the Ducks will visit Minnesota on Monday and Wednesday nights.
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