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Coyotes-Ducks Preview

Nov 6, 2009 - 10:38 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Phoenix (10-6-0) at Anaheim (5-7-2), 10:00 p.m. EDT

A hard hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski doesn't appear to have rattled Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan.

Doan, who has been showing signs of coming around after struggling prior to that collision, leads the Coyotes on Saturday night against a Ducks team that will have Wisniewski back from a two-game suspension.

Wisniewski was punished by the NHL two days after he delivered a blow to Doan's head in the first period of Phoenix's 3-2 shootout win Oct. 31. Wisniewski didn't receive a penalty on the play.

Even without Wisniewski, the Ducks (5-7-2) were able to beat Nashville 4-0 on Thursday night. Anaheim lost 4-3 to Pittsburgh two days earlier in its first game without Wisniewski, second on the team with nine assists.

Doan has one goal and two assists in three games since facing the Ducks. He was held off the scoresheet in his previous three contests.

Doan had an assist on Peter Mueller's first goal of the season as Phoenix (10-6-0) beat Chicago 3-1 on Thursday night.

"Finally," Mueller said. "It's like someone took a weight vest off of me."

Mueller was a healthy scratch for two games before returning Wednesday night in a 4-1 loss to Colorado. He didn't have a point versus the Avalanche, but coach Dave Tippett saw improvement.

"He sat out a couple of games and it hopefully helped him get his urgency back," Tippett said. "There's an urgency in the details in what he's doing in practice. He's not so nonchalant, and that has shown the last two games."

Mueller, the eighth overall pick in 2006, had 35 goals in his first two seasons.

He helped Ilya Bryzgalov earn another win Thursday. Bryzgalov made 31 saves, improving to 9-4-0 with a 1.81 goals-against average.

Bryzgalov made 32 saves and stopped all three Ducks chances in the shootout last Saturday.

Phoenix, though, has a banged-up blue line, as Ed Jovanovski left late in the third period against Chicago with a lower-body injury. He's tied with Doan for first on the team with 13 points (five goals, eight assists).

The Coyotes were already without defensemen Kurt Sauer and Zbynek Michalek.

Sauer has missed 15 straight games with an upper-body injury, and there's no timetable for his return. Michalek is listed as week to week after suffering a lower-body injury against the Avalanche.

Anaheim got an outstanding performance defensively versus the Predators, stopping their five power-play chances. Ducks opponents are 0 for 11 with the man advantage over the last two games.

Jonas Hiller has made four straight starts for Anaheim since Jean-Sebastien Giguere re-aggravated a groin injury. He stopped 40 shots Thursday for his fifth NHL shutout.

Giguere may not be healthy enough to play until a four-game road trip beginning Wednesday night against New Jersey.

Another Ducks veteran, Teemu Selanne, scored two goals against Nashville to overtake Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau for 38th on the career points list with 1,221.

"It's a great honor to pass guys like him because you know you have done some good things in this league," Selanne said. "Things like this are just a bonus for myself. Obviously, I'm very lucky and thankful for how my career has gone."

Selanne has two goals and two assists in his last three games against the Coyotes. Anaheim has earned points in six straight versus Phoenix, going 4-0-2.