ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Adam Henrique scored his first two goals for the Ducks in his home debut, and Ryan Miller made 29 saves for his first shutout for Anaheim in a 3-0 victory over the slumping Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
Ondrej Kase also scored, and Henrique added an empty-netter to his second-period opening goal as the Ducks snapped a three-game losing streak, largely controlling a matchup of two conference finalists from last season.
Miller, the 37-year-old veteran signed by Anaheim last summer, posted his 40th career shutout with a confident performance. Although he hasn't played regularly behind John Gibson, Miller remained unbeaten in regulation for his new team (3-0-4).
Henrique has five points in four games with the Ducks, who opened a three-game homestand one night after ending a six-game trip with a shootout loss at Vegas.
Craig Anderson stopped 19 shots in the Senators' ninth loss in 10 games.
Ottawa's offensive struggles continued in the fourth stop on a seven-game road trip. The Senators have scored more than two goals in just one game during this skid, and they've been shut out in back-to-back games after a 5-0 loss at Winnipeg last Sunday.
Ottawa's scoreless streak reached 138 minutes, 22 seconds.
The Ducks played without key injured regulars Hampus Lindholm and Jakob Silfverberg, depleting the already shaky depth on a roster that leads the NHL in man-games lost to injury. The five-time defending Pacific Division champions have played most of the season without their top two centers, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler.
After a scoreless first period, Henrique extended his strong start for the Ducks with a goal on a sharp one-timer after Rickard Rakell put the puck in the slot. Anaheim sent puck-moving defenseman Sami Vatanen to New Jersey for Henrique, who filled the Ducks' immediate need for a solid center.
Kase added his first goal since Nov. 1 later in the period with an exceptional individual effort, including a filthy backhand deke before roofing a backhand over Anderson. Kase, who missed 10 games last month due to injury, already has six goals for a new single-season career high.
NOTES: Both teams wore helmet decals in honor of Bryan Murray, the former coach and general manager for both franchises. Murray died of colorectal cancer in August. ... Miller is the fourth American-born goalie to post 40 NHL shutouts. ... Ottawa C Nate Thompson spent the previous three seasons with Anaheim, playing a depth role on two teams that reached the Western Conference finals. He left the Ducks as a free agent last summer. ... D Fredrik Claesson was a healthy scratch, missing only his second game of the season. The Sens dressed D Ben Harpur instead. ... Silfverberg missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury, but is close to returning.
UP NEXT
Senators: Up the I-5 freeway to face the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
Ducks: Host former coach Bruce Boudreau and the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.
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