{coyotes} Top seed at stake for Ducks against Coyotes

Saturday, 11 April 2015

{coyotes} Top seed at stake for Ducks against Coyotes

The Fault in Our Stars / Divergent / The Descendants

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Anaheim Ducks want to end the 2014-15 regular season on a high note and with the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Ducks would be the top seed in the Western Conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they defeat the Arizona Coyotes in regulation or overtime. They would also finish first if they defeat the Coyotes in a shootout and the St. Louis Blues fail to defeat the Minnesota Wild in regulation or overtime Saturday. Anaheim could still get the top seed with one point Saturday if the Blues lose to the Wild in regulation.

Anaheim also would like some positive momentum heading into the playoffs. They have lost two straight and were defeated 4-0 at home against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.

The Coyotes will end the season with the worst record in the Western Conference and second-worst point total in the NHL behind the Buffalo Sabres. They could pick as high as first or as low as third in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Arizona won its last game at home against the San Jose Sharks on Apr. 4, the only regulation win at Gila River Arena since Jan. 8. The Coyotes have the League's worst home record at 13-25-3, but one of the wins came in a 2-1 shootout win against the Ducks on Dec. 27.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury and is questionable for the game. Goalie Mike Smith had been playing very well of late but was pulled after allowing four goals on 24 shots in a 5-0 loss Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has a team-high 23 goals this season and needs one more to claim the franchise record for the most goals scored by a defenseman in one season. He is currently tied with Phil Housley, who had back-to-back 23-goal seasons from 1990-92 when the franchise was in Winnipeg.

DUCKS

Jiri Sekac - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry

Matt Beleskey - Ryan Kesler - Kyle Palmieri

Andrew Cogliano - Nate Thompson- Jakob Silfverberg

Patrick Maroon - Chris Wagner - Tim Jackman

Hampus Lindholm - Francois Beauchemin

Cam Fowler - Simon Despres

Clayton Stoner - Sami Vatanen

Frederik Andersen

John Gibson

Scratched: James Wisniewski, Tomas Fleischmann, Stefan Noesen, Emerson Etem, Korbinian Holzer, Rickard Rakell

Injured: None