Ducks Avoid Falling to Cellar

By Chris Foster

Feb. 24, 2004 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

GLENDALE, Ariz. — This was a huge point for the Mighty Ducks. It helped them keep pace with ... Phoenix.

While the playoff race goes on elsewhere around the NHL, the struggle to stay out of last place in the Pacific Division collided Monday. In that, the Ducks kept Phoenix at an arm’s length after a 1-1 tie in front of 14,789 in the Glendale Arena.

Jason Krog scored his first goal in 38 games and goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped everything possible, keeping the Ducks a point ahead of the last-place Coyotes.

“It was a step in the right direction,” Giguere said. “We’ll take the point. It was better than a loss.”

The words filtered from the Coyote dressing room, where Mike Comrie said, “I may have felt like we deserved the two points tonight, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Sound bites from desperate teams.

Neither team went into the game playing at its best. The Coyotes were still stinging from the 8-2 beating Nashville gave them Saturday. The Ducks were coming off their debacle in Dallas, where they had only 14 shots and no scoring chances in a 4-0 loss.

The Ducks’ energy was better Monday, but their efficiency was still lacking.

They had eight power plays, including one in overtime. Twice the Coyotes were called for double minor penalties, one of which gave the Ducks a two-man advantage for 28 seconds. They failed to convert.

What saved them was Giguere.

“He’s back,” said Sergei Fedorov, who twice hit the post with shots.

Giguere stopped 37 of 38 shots with an array of spectacular saves, a handful of which covered for Duck turnovers.

The only shot the Coyotes got by him came off a Mike Leclerc turnover. Comrie got off a soft shot that went off the stick of Daymond Langkow, who had been knocked face first to the ice. That short-handed goal tied the score, 1-1, 18 minutes 38 seconds into the second period.

Giguere smothered everything else. In eight starts since the All-Star break, Giguere has a 1.84 goals-against average.

This was the type of run the Ducks needed from Giguere. However, he has not been entirely forgiven for his early-season woes.

“Jiggy is getting back to form, which is great to see,” Coach Mike Babcock said. “We feel we’d be in a lot better situation if it happened earlier, but that’s the way it is.”

With the playoffs almost out of the question, the Ducks’ big-picture need was to have Giguere rehabilitate his game heading into the off-season.

“For myself, it was very important to get going,” Giguere said. “It’s always important to be consistent every night. I just have to do my job. I can’t control what happens up front or on the power play. If I do my job, I can walk away with my head high.”

Krog walked away that way, after scoring his first goal since Nov. 28.

Chris Kunitz slid the puck to Krog at the left of the net. His quick wrist shot gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead 3:34 into the second period.