Boudreau takes 15-day road trip in stride

--Having spent four seasons coaching the Washington Capitals and the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears before that, Bruce Boudreau hasn't been on the eight-game, 15-day sojourn that the Ducks have embarked on. Boudreau shuddered at the thought of 15 days on the road when it was mentioned to him before they left Anaheim but the Ducks' coach downplayed the trip when he met with reporters Friday after his team's morning skate at Joe Louis Arena.

"I don't know how I'm going to feel come the end of it, because when you're in the East the whole time, you don't get trips like this," he said. "Looking around the league, Los Angeles is on a trip right now. Detroit just came back from a trip like this. San Jose's on a trip like this next week. Chicago's in the middle of a trip like this. What are we going to do? Cry about it? Let's just go do it."

--Jonas Hiller has started 12 consecutive games and 20 of their last 21 contests in goal. And with Dan Ellis still sidelined because of a torn groin muscle, the Swiss netminder is going to start virtually every game from here on out -- at least as long as the Ducks are still mathematically involved in the playoff picture. It means that whatever rest Hiller is going to get will have to be on days in between games or on optional morning skates, which he is trying to use to his advantage and he has coach Bruce Boudreau to thank for that.

"I think it's gotten a little easier since Bruce is here," Hiller said. "Definitely, practices are a little shorter. I get days off once in a while, which is nice to take care of my body. I get a lot of massages and trying to get good stretches in and everything to feel good."

QUOTE TO NOTE
"We think we certainly deserved a better fate. But when you go 0-for-6 or 0-for-7 on the power play, even if you have three great looks or four great looks and you don't score, you don't expect to win." -- Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau.

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