Coyotes 4, Ducks 1 (Preseason)

By Dave Vest
ANAHEIM — Kyle Turris notched a goal and an assist to ignite the Coyotes' four-goal second period, and Phoenix beat the Anaheim Ducks, 4-1, Tuesday night in the preseason opener for both teams at the Honda Center.

Andrew Ebbett, Brett MacLean and Viktor Tikhonov also scored goals for the Coyotes, who took 40 shots. Phoenix goalie Jason LaBarbera played the entire game and made 20 saves.

Turris, the third overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, is hoping to regain a spot on the Coyotes’ roster after spending last season in the American Hockey League.

"I'm just trying to work hard and compete and show that I belong on this team," Turris said. "...I just feel like I'm ready."

►Click here to watch an interview with Turris recorded after Tuesday's game.

Bobby Ryan scored a power-play goal for the Ducks. Curtis McElhinney stopped 20 shots in the first 30 minutes, and Jason Levasseur made 16 saves in the final 30 minutes.

Neither team scored in the first period. The Coyotes were hampered by four major penalties.

Turris, who centered a line with Tikhonov and Scottie Upshall, scored a power-play goal with a wrist shot from the left circle at 4:40 of the second period to snap the scoreless tie.

Ebbett, who is battling Turris for a job at center, scored a goal from the high slot at 8:55 of the second period to up Phoenix's lead to 2-1. Ebbett also won 12 of 19 face-offs.

After Ryan scored to pull the Ducks to within 2-1, MacLean and Tikhonov netted goals within 2:10 of each other to bump Phoenix's lead to 4-1.

►Click here to watch an interview with Tikhonov recorded after Tuesday's game.

'YOTES NOTES

► Upshall played his first game since suffering a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 28, 2010. He played 15:41, took three shots on goal and delivered three hits. Click here to listen to an interview with Upshall recorded after Tuesday's game.

► Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who played 30 shifts, wowed coaches by foiling a breakaway by Anaheim's Dan Sexton with a diving poke check at 11:21 of the first period.

► MacLean took a team-high seven shots on goal in 11:34.

► None of the Coyotes wore a "C" on his sweater for this game, but Upshall and Eric Belanger wore "A."

► Leading 4-1, enforcer Paul Bissonnette fought briefly with Anaheim's Mat Clark near the end of the game.

► The forward lines/defensive pairings on Tuesday:

Alexandre Picard-Andrew Ebbett-Petr Prucha
Paul Bissonnette-Eric Belanger-Lauri Korpikoski
Mikkel Boedker-Kyle Wellwood-Brett MacLean
Viktor Tikhonov-Kyle Turris-Scottie Upshall

Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Sami Lepisto
David Schlemko-Maxim Goncharov
Brandon Gormley-Noaln Yonkman

Reach Dave Vest at thedesertdogblog@phoenixcoyotes.com and follow him on twitter @davest4yotes.