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Ducks motivated to beat Coyotes, who have ‘kicked our butt three times’

Antoine Vermette, John Gibson, Kevin Bieksa

Arizona Coyotes’ Antoine Vermette (50) scores a goal against Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson, left, as Ducks’ Kevin Bieksa (2) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

AP

The Anaheim Ducks have played the Arizona Coyotes three times this season, and all three times they’ve lost.

The Ducks’ most recent defeat at the hands of the plucky Desert Dogs -- on Nov. 25 by a score of 4-2 -- left head coach Bruce Boudreau to lament the “times we looked like we were brain dead.”

Those were not fun times for the Anaheim Ducks.

But, of course, that was then and this is now. And right now, there aren’t many hotter teams than Anaheim.

That’s why Boudreau is calling the fourth installment of Ducks-Coyotes, tonight at Honda Center, “the biggest game of the year” for his resurgent club.

“This team has kicked our butt three times,” he said. “We both know what [tonight] means.”

Anaheim enters on a five-game winning streak.

“We have a nice little streak going here,” said defenseman Kevin Bieksa. “Everything is better when you’re winning, and we want to keep it going.”

A regulation Ducks win would move Anaheim three points clear of Arizona for third spot in the Pacific Division.

The Coyotes, meanwhile, have lost three straight and have just two wins in their last nine. So tonight is a big game for them, too. A regulation win and they’d catapult the Ducks into a playoff spot.