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Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov shuts out Ducks

Dec 24, 2009 - 5:05 AM GLENDALE, Ariz.(AP) -- Ilya Bryzgalov's Phoenix Coyotes teammates made his NHL-leading fifth shutout easy.

Bryzgalov stopped 21 shots for his 13th career shutout and the Coyotes beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-0 on Wednesday night for their eighth straight home victory.

"We didn't give them anything tonight and that was our plan," Bryzgalov said. "We wanted to pressure them all over the ice and force them to make turnovers. We executed well and paid attention to the little things because in the big picture it's the little things in hockey."

Bryzgalov faced few tough chances, even as the Ducks had four power-play opportunities.

"I didn't think he got tested a ton, but when he had to make key saves he made key saves," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said.

Scottie Upshall scored his third goal in two games, Martin Hanzal, Taylor Pyatt and Robert Lang also scored and 11 players had a point for Phoenix. The Coyotes, 10-2-1 in their last 13 games, moved into fourth place in the Western Conference.

"It was a huge game for us because it was a divisional game and we needed these two huge points," Hanzal said. "We played really well, really hard and really tough."

The win was Phoenix's first against the Ducks in regulation in 10 meetings.

Anaheim, playing the second of back-to-back games for the seventh time this season, lost for the second time in six games (4-2-0).

"This is the hand we were dealt and we have to be better," Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer said. "They played extremely well and we couldn't match it."

The Coyotes' home winning streak is their longest since an eight-game streak in 2002 and is the longest since the team moved to Jobing.Com Arena midway through the 2003-04 season.

For the second straight game Upshall opened the scoring for Phoenix, skating in from the left toward a loose rebound and flicking the puck past Jonas Hiller at 8:20 of the first.

Hanzal made it 2-0 at 16:29 of the period when he took a pass from Radim Vrbata just outside the Anaheim zone, coasted across the blue line and fired a hard wrist shot from the left point off Hiller's blocker.

"It was lucky," Hanzal said. "I don't even know where I meant to shoot it."

Pyatt recorded his 200th career point at 10:09 of the second, taking the puck from behind the net and tucking a shot just under Hiller's pad.

"I thought as poorly as we played it should have been a 1-0 hockey game going into the third period," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "I'm not dumping on the goalie and saying it's his fault. We didn't have a lot going. But we have to have those saves made in those situations."

Hiller was replaced by of Jean-Sebastien Giguere with just under 8 minutes to play, the first time Hiller had been pulled from a start since Oct. 17. Giguere surrendered Lang's goal from the bottom of the left faceoff circle with 3:50 to go.

"I definitely think I can play better," Hiller said. "I'm sure if it was a matter of back-to-back games. We had another game last night but that can't be an excuse."

NOTES: Phoenix had won three of the past nine games against the Ducks, all in overtime or the shootout. ... Matthew Lombardi assisted on Upshall's goal and has seven assists on Upshall's 13 scores, including each of the last five. ... Hiller had his four-game winning streak snapped.