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Rare goal by DiPenta lifts Ducks over Coyotes

Mar 8, 2007 - 7:09 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Defenseman Joe DiPenta needed to execute a billiards-style trick shot to get his name on the scoresheet.

DiPenta snapped a tie midway through the third period and fellow blue-liner Ric Jackman scored his second goal of the season as the Anaheim Ducks posted their fifth win in six games, a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Anaheim (40-17-11) won its 10th straight home meeting with Phoenix and 16th in 19 overall encounters between the teams to widen its lead to nine points over idle San Jose (40-25-2) in the Pacific Division.

"I think it's important to try to get the division," Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere said. "It gives you (one of the) first three spots in the conference. That's a pretty important thing. I think the focus should be on a daily basis. Try to have a good practice tomorrow and move onto the next game and worry about the next game."

"We're coming out just playing the best we can and looking for the two points every night," Jackman said. "It doesn't matter who it's against. Anytime you can come out like this and squeeze out a win at home, it's good. But we need to pick our game up coming down the stretch."

DiPenta put the Ducks ahead with 8:02 remaining in the third, when his wrist shot from the right faceoff circle deflected off Coyotes Steven Reinprecht and defenseman Zbynek Michalek before sliding past goaltender Mikael Tellqvist.

"It was the weirdest goal I've ever scored in my career," DiPenta said. "They were giving me a good razzing when I came here. They were joking with me for the type of goal I scored and how I don't score too many. It was almost poetic justice. They asked me if I practice my pool shots a lot."

"It's always nice to see when players that work hard and commit to your program and do all the extra things are rewarded when they're not normally part of your offense," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "He's a defensive defenseman, and the simple play is the best play for Joe DiPenta. But he's a competitor and he works extremely hard at his game."

The goal was DiPenta's second of the season, with his only other tally coming on January 11 against Dallas. The 28-year-old has just five goals in 137 career games.

"That was awesome for me," DiPenta said. "It was a big moment for me. Getting the game-winning goal is the kind of thing you cherish if you can get a game-winning goal, especially if you don't get very many. So I was really pleased with it."

"We're happy for Joe," Giguere said. "He works hard. He's always the first guy here and the last guy out. It's nice sometimes to get rewarded with a big goal like that, even if it's not the prettiest. I'm sure he's pretty happy."

Captain Shane Doan needed just 31 seconds to give Phoenix the lead, netting his 23rd goal of the season and third in as many games by emerging from behind the net and sliding the puck inside the right goalpost.

"Both Giguere and (defenseman) Scott Niedermayer fell down on the play," Doan said. "(Frederik) Sjostrom got me the puck and the goaltender made the first stop. I wanted to shoot the puck before Giguere got set again. I kicked the puck to my stick and beat him to the other side of the net."

Acquired from the Florida Panthers on January 2, Jackman notched his first tally with the Ducks nearly five minutes later on a power play as his wrister from the slot glanced off Tellqvist's glove and into the net.

"I kind of just closed my eyes and threw it at the net," Jackman said. "Corey Perry made a great pass. I had a couple chances this year, but it's nice to get one tonight. It's a huge win for us."

A former Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Giguere made 24 saves in winning his fifth consecutive decision for the Ducks, who improved to 19-2-5 at home.

Anaheim played its first game after announcing former Hart and Norris Trophy winner Chris Pronger would be sidelined two weeks with a broken toe.

"When you lose a guy like that that logs so many minutes and is a leader, and you look to him in tight games like this, it's nice that other guys step their game up," Jackman said. "It was the outcome that we were looking for, but it wasn't one of our great games of the year."

"When you lose a Pronger, there (are) other people who have to step to the forefront and give you more quality minutes," Carlyle said. "You have to try to tap the rest of your individuals to be a little bit better."

Tellqvist stopped 24 shots but suffered his fifth loss in six games for Phoenix, which has dropped 10 of 12.

"Our team battled all night against a very good hockey club," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "We give up a goal in the end that goes off our leg. That was kind of unlucky. Then Giguere made two big saves at the end. But I really felt like our hockey club made a very good effort."