Arizona @ Anaheim preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 10, 2018 ) Arizona 3, Anaheim 2

The Anaheim Ducks are struggling to maintain playoff position and may have to do so without No. 1 goaltender John Gibson for a time as they host the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Gibson, who was second in the league with a .927 save percentage entering Friday, left Thursday's 4-2 loss at San Jose after one period (upper body) as his injury-plagued career takes another twist.

“You never know in this league what’s going to happen,” Ducks backup goaltender Chad Johnson, who was acquired earlier this month after No. 2 Ryan Miller (knee) went down, told reporters. “I was as prepared as I could be for that situation, but you’re never fully into it compared to when you know you’re going to start. Your whole mindset is different, but it’s part of my job.” Anaheim sits fourth in the Pacific Division, six points behind first-place Calgary, but is in wild-card position despite missing key players such as Rickard Rakell (ankle), Cam Fowler (face) and Corey Perry (knee). Arizona had its two-game winning streak snapped with a 2-1 loss at Los Angeles on Thursday and is 3-8-0 in its last 11 games. The Ducks and Coyotes split their first two of five meetings this season in a pair of one-goal decisions with each winning on the road as Gibson stopped 78 of 80 shots.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, FS West (Anaheim)

ABOUT THE COYOTES (16-19-2): Clayton Keller (club-most 26 points) has three assists in his last three games while defenseman Oliver-Ekman Larsson (team-worst minus-13) is second with 19 points. Brad Richardson (team-high 10 goals) missed Thursday's game with the flu. Derek Stepan, Christian Fischer and Keller have eight goals apiece with Keller riding a 12-game scoreless streak.

ABOUT THE DUCKS (19-15-5): Jakob Silfverberg scored Thursday, giving him 10 goals as he joins Pontus Aberg (11) as the only Anaheim players with double-digit goal totals. Ryan Getzlaf leads the club with 29 points but has been kept off the scoresheet in three straight games for the first time this season. Adam Henrique and Rakell are next with 20 points apiece but Henrique hasn't recorded one in four games and has only five in 11 December contests.

OVERTIME

1. Arizona boasts the league's top penalty-killing unit at 87.7 percent and faces a club that is 1-for-16 on the power play over its last four games.

2. The Ducks and Coyotes own the second- and third-worst offenses in the NHL at 2.41 and 2.49 goals per contest, respectively, through Thursday.

3. Anaheim is 3-0-1 this season when returning home after playing consecutive road games.

PREDICTION: Ducks 3, Coyotes 2