ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jean-Sebastien Giguere is ready for any special nicknames, even after posting his fourth shutout in six games.
He withstood a collision with Ladislav Nagy less than two minutes into the game and finished with 24 saves as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-0 Sunday night.
Giguere wasn't ready to be compared to former Boston goalie Frankie Brimsek, who earned the moniker "Mr. Zero" by posting so many shutouts in the 1940s.
"I've heard his name before, but I'm not ready for that," Giguere said after his 13th career shutout and fifth this season. "The only way you can be called something like that is after your career, when you've had lots and lots of shutouts. But this is way too early."
Giguere is tied with Ed Belfour and Marty Turco for the league lead in shutouts and lowered his goals-against average to 2.23. He had a shutout streak of 237 minutes, 7 seconds, the third-longest since the inception of the red line 59 years ago, snapped last week following three consecutive shutouts.
"I wanted to have a good game tonight and give ourselves a better chance to win," Giguere said. "We should be happy with the effort tonight."
Defenseman Niclas Havelid scored twice and Mike Brown got his first NHL goal. Matt Cullen had a goal and an assist, and Paul Kariya added two assists for the Ducks, who set a club record with their sixth straight home victory.
Anaheim also extended its home unbeaten streak to nine games (6-0-3) tying Dallas and Toronto for the longest in the NHL this season. The club record is 14 games, set in 1996-97 (10-0-4). The victory was Anaheim's first this season against a Pacific Division rival (1-5-2).
Playing their first road game since Nov. 30 following a nine-game homestand, the Coyotes were shut out for the first time this season. They are 0-17-3 when they allow more than two goals.
Brian Boucher, making his seventh straight start and 25th in 28 games, faced only five shots and surrendered three goals in a 6:15 span before he was replaced by Zac Bierk. It was Bierk's first NHL game since March 8, 2001, with Minnesota.
"We just weren't mentally ready to start the game. And when that happens, we're not a very good team," Phoenix right wing Shane Doan said. "They played solid, and they didn't give us much once they got the lead."
Jason Krog helped engineer Anaheim's first goal, carrying the puck around the net and throwing it out in front. Dan Bylsma played the carom off Boucher's stick in the slot and set up Brown at the right of the crease at 9:54 of the first.
Brown was recalled Friday from Cincinnati of the AHL to replace Kevin Sawyer, who was injured in a fight with Brad Norton last Thursday at Los Angeles. The Ducks' enforcer did not sustain a concussion, but was told not to work out until he goes two days without a headache.
"It's unfortunate when a good guy like that goes down, but you've got to make the best of it when you get your chance," said Brown, 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. "I guess they needed my type of player up here. I'm definitely going to do everything I can, and more, so I can stick up here this time around."
Shortly after Giguere stopped Daymond Langkow on a breakaway, the Ducks made it 2-0 on Cullen's sixth goal.
Havelid scored less than three minutes later, beating Boucher to the glove side with a one-timer from 40 feet after Cullen outmuscled Radoslav Suchy for the puck behind the Phoenix net.
Notes
- Havelid completed the scoring on a slap shot with 15:59 remaining -- Anaheim's eighth power-play goal in three games.
- Those watching the game on local TV missed the first 11½ minutes of the game because of the Los Angeles Lakers' overtime NBA win in Toronto -- which was followed by a lengthy prerecorded message of holiday greetings from each member on the TV crew.
- Bob Francis, last season's coach of the year, coached his 281st game with the Coyotes -- tying the franchise record John Paddock set when the team was based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Anaheim has scored on the power play in seven straight games. Their longest streak last season was three games.
- Bierk, the fourth goalie used this season by Phoenix, stopped his first 21 shots and finished with 23 saves. He was recalled from Springfield of the AHL on Dec. 16.
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