Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov had 24 saves Wednesday night to extend his regulation unbeaten streak against the Avalanche to seven games.
Bryzgalov, waived by Anaheim last month, led the Ducks to a 2006 second-round series sweep over the Avs. Colorado beat him and the Ducks last season in a shootout, but Bryzgalov got the shootout win Monday in the first meeting of the season between Colorado and Phoenix.
“I don’t know, it’s news for me,” Bryzgalov said of his success against the Avs. “I take to the ice and try to play my game. I don’t think about numbers, or streaks.”
Double negative.
Phoenix’s two empty-net goals came short-handed, after Fredrik Sjostrom was called for high sticking with 2:16 to play. In Colorado’s first 39 games, it had allowed just one short-handed goal.
Road warriors.
The Coyotes, just 6-10-1 at home, improved to 13-8 on the road. “We have quality veterans who are around the young guys to sort of lead them in the right direction,” Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said.
Footnotes.
Avs forward Tyler Arnason, who has missed 10 games because of a broken wrist, will accompany the team on its upcoming five-game road trip and might play at some point. … Avs forward Cody McCormick was scratched because of a hip injury. He was replaced by Scott Parker, who played for just the 12th time this season. … Marek Svatos (two goals) had his second multigoal game of the season and is tied with Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk for the team goal-scoring lead with 15.
