What we learned from the Ducks’ 5-2 victory over the Coyotes

The Ducks are rolling, and the numbers just need to be updated after a 5-2 win against Arizona on Friday. They are 13-3-1 since Christmas and have scored 34 goals in nine games.

“Our team is really hard to defend right now,” Andrew Cogliano said. This for a team that didn’t have a forward score a goal in its first four games.

To little surprise, the Ducks are in the thick of a playoff race before a seven-game trip next week.

Here’s what we learned:

The Ducks haven’t forgotten their defense-first approach

That’s been their bread-and-butter all season, and they were mindful after allowing a goal 1:34 into the game. Arizona got one goal the rest of the way. Anaheim has allowed a franchise-low 115 goals through 50 games, third-fewest in the NHL.

“We’ve been scoring, but one big thing is we’ve been keeping teams to two goals or less,” defenseman Hampus Lindholm said. “We have to keep playing that good defensive hockey, and that’s what you have to do if you want to go somewhere.”

Lindholm has come alive

Earlier this season, Lindholm was struggling at both ends of the rink. He was inconsistent with his defensive responsibilities and had three goals in his first 46 games.

But Lindholm has been a force during the Ducks’ run, with goals in three straight games and a bold, confident demeanor that made him stand up to the Kings’ Milan Lucic on Thursday. His goals have come with traffic in front, but Lindholm also is more conscious of letting the puck go.

“I think I’ve been shooting a lot and really not thinking too much,” Lindholm said. “You just try and get it on net there and have some guys going to the net. Maybe the goalie can’t see the puck. … I haven’t really done too much. I just try to shoot a lot.”

The Ducks’ goalie tandem will be crucial on the trip

Lost in the offensive superlatives is that goalie Frederik Andersen won his fifth straight, two short of his career-high 7-0-0 streak last season.

The Ducks will lean on Andersen and John Gibson, the NHL leader in goals-against average (1.92) during a trip that starts with three games in four nights and two back-to-back sequences.