Coyotes show little fight in blowout loss to Ducks
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Rickard Rakell's whereabouts during training camp was a topic of amusement for Kevin Bieksa and the Anaheim Ducks.
Rakell's presence since returning to the ice has been no laughing matter for their opponents.
Rakell had two goals and an assist, John Gibson stopped 21 shots and the Ducks beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-1 on Friday night.
Rakell picked up his second three-point game in three games since agreeing to a new long-term contract Oct. 14, scoring on a 2-on-1 break in the first period and tapping in a misplayed puck in the third.
"He's fresh. He's been sitting around doing nothing for two months in Sweden doing who knows what in Stockholm, sitting in a cafe," Bieksa joked. "We've been grinding it out in training camp and skating, so I expect him to be contributing."
The reality was not quite as humorous. Not only was Rakell waiting to finalize a new deal, he was still recovering from a bout of appendicitis he endured at the end of last season and needed surgery in September to have scar tissue removed.
Rakell has shown no ill effects since returning to the ice, though he thinks his timing and ability to be consistently strong on the puck are lacking.
"I still think that I'm trying to find my groove a little bit," Rakell said. "I think it's a process. Right now things are going my way with scoring and stuff, but as long as I keep getting scoring chances and making stuff happen out there I'm satisfied."
Antoine Vermette added a goal and an assist, and Bieksa and Jakob Silfverberg also scored for the Ducks, who are 5-2-1 since starting with four losses (0-3-1).
Jamie McGinn scored for Arizona. Louis Domingue stopped 18 of 21 shots in the first period before being replaced by Justin Peters, who gave up two goals on 12 shots over the final 40 minutes.
"It was a terrible start to the game," McGinn said. "I feel bad for Louis, we hung him out to dry."
The Ducks were more than satisfied after the first period. After stewing over consecutive home defeats in which they were outscored 9-1, the Ducks responded with a dominant opening 20 minutes in which they thoroughly controlled play while building a 3-0 lead.
Bieksa and Rakell scored 2:54 apart midway through the first to get Anaheim started. Silfverberg wrapped up the scoring blitz in the opening period, turning Vermette's clever backhand pass into a nifty backhanded goal with 45 seconds remaining.
"We're happy with that response," Bieksa said. "We just came in with the right mindset and played a good solid game."
Ondrej Kase recorded his first point in his second career game with an assist on Vermette's goal with 6:37 left in the second period. The 20-year old rookie from the Czech Republic made his first start and played 16:11.
McGinn got the Coyotes on the scoreboard with about 3 1/2 minutes left in the second. It was his third goal in six games.
The Ducks had a scare in the first period when Max Domi dropped Ryan Kesler in a fight with one punch. Kesler put a hit on Domi that resulted in a roughing penalty, and the son of longtime enforcer Tie Domi responded with a devastating uppercut when they dropped the gloves. Kesler was helped to the locker room, but did return in the second period and had an assist on Rakell's second goal.
NOTES: Ducks C Ryan Getzlaf and LW Nick Ritchie each missed a second straight game with upper-body injuries. ... Coyotes C Martin Hanzal was scratched for the second straight game with a lower-body injury.
Coyotes: Wrap their two-game road trip at Colorado on Tuesday.
Ducks: Wrap their three-game homestand against Calgary on Sunday.
