GLENDALE, Ariz. — Trevor Zegras tried a between-the-legs shot from near the right goalpost midway through the first period of the Ducks’ 5-0 victory on Friday night at Gila River Arena. It proved to be too ambitious, given the sharp angle, and Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka made a routine save.

Zegras didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate, didn’t miss with his next attempt. He regained possession of the puck, swept around the back of the net, lifting the puck lacrosse style, and wrapped it around teammate Sonny Milano from near the left post for another of his highlight-reel goals.

A collection of Ducks fans at the north end of the arena erupted in cheers, joined swiftly enough by the rest of the crowd of 13,587. It had taken Coyotes fans a moment to process what they had witnessed, Zegras’ second lacrosse-style goal of the season and the 17th of his rookie season overall.

Zegras and Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2019-20 are the only players in NHL history to score two lacrosse-style goals. That duo, and Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators, also in 2019-20, are the only three players in NHL history to pull off the goal known as “The Michigan.”

It proved to be the ninth and final shot Vejmelka would face. Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny replaced him with Josef Korenar with the Ducks holding a 3-0 lead only 9:42 into the game. Isac Lundestrom and Gerry Mayhew had scored comparatively ho-hum goals earlier in the period.

The goals by Lundestrom, only 3:38 into the game, and Mayhew, at 7:41, set an early, joyful tone for the Ducks, seeking to put an end to their 11-game winless streak (0-8-3). Another loss Friday would have matched the franchise’s longest skid, set midway through 2018-19.

Zegras’ goal extended their lead to 3-0, their widest advantage since building a 5-0 edge over the Vancouver Canucks en route to a 7-4 victory on Feb. 19. The goal also was Zegras’ 50th point of the season, moving him within seven of Bobby Ryan’s Ducks rookie record set in 2008-09.

Earlier this season, Zegras scored “The Michigan” for the first time in the Ducks’ victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 27, victimizing Sam Montembeault. He also set up Milano for a goal with a lacrosse-style lob pass from behind the net in a victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 7.

Cam Fowler extended the Ducks’ lead to 4-0 with a goal while the teams were skating four-on-four only 5:44 into the second period, his second point of the game. He also assisted on Zegras’ goal for the 280th of his career, breaking a tie with Steve Rucchin for fifth place on the Ducks’ all-time list.

Lundestrom’s second goal of the game made it 5-0 early in the third.

The Ducks then went about maintaining their commanding five-goal lead and recording their first victory since a 3-2 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks on March 4 at Honda Center. They had eased goaltender Anthony Stolarz’s burden, but their work was far from finished.

Freed from the oppressive checking of the Dallas Stars in losses Tuesday and Thursday, the Ducks found plenty of room to skate and roam the ice. They attacked relentlessly but still paid the proper defensive attention to the front of Stolarz’s net. Stolarz made 22 saves for his third shutout of the season.

More to come on this story.

Another view. https://t.co/RuyHTiefER

— Elliott Teaford (@ElliottTeaford) April 2, 2022