Ducks beat Blue Jackets 3-2 for 5th straight win

[February 19, 2013]  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Peter Holland and Ryan Getzlaf scored 21 seconds apart in the first period, rallying the Anaheim Ducks to their fifth consecutive victory, 3-2 over the NHL-worst Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night.

The Pacific Division-leading Ducks' winning streak is currently the longest in the NHL and they've also won their last five home games. They were coming off a 5-1-0 road trip, the best win percentage for a trip of five or more games in franchise history.

Jonas Hiller made 25 saves for his first win since Feb. 2 against Los Angeles.

The Ducks' defense shut down Columbus after Corey Perry took a holding penalty with 34 seconds remaining in the game.

Vinny Prospal gave the Blue Jackets an early lead before they lost their third in a row and dropped to 1-6-0 on the road. He scored when the puck bounced high off his chest and into the net past a sprawled Hiller at 3:30 of the first period.

Holland was sent off for interference 20 seconds later, but he returned before the Ducks went on the power play when Fedor Tyutin was penalized for interference.

Holland scored on a breakaway at 15:56, beating Sergei Bobrovsky stick-side after Bobby Ryan stole the puck from Derek Dorsett deep in the Columbus zone. Ryan passed to Ben Lovejoy, who found Holland well ahead of the nearest Blue Jackets defender for his first goal of the season, tying the game at 1-1.

The Ducks struck again for the go-ahead goal at 16:17. Getzlaf's backhander found the net despite traffic from two Columbus defenders for his fifth goal.

Anaheim nearly scored again in the final minute of the first, but Bobrovsky made a nifty glove save on Kyle Palmieri. Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots.

Nick Drazenovic was penalized for holding, setting up the Ducks' second power-play goal at 8:44 of the third. Anaheim extended its lead to 3-1 when Perry took Getzlaf's pass from the left boards and flipped the puck over Bobrovsky's right shoulder.

Derick Brassard scored Columbus' other goal at 12:06 of the third.

NOTES: Holland was recalled last week by the Ducks from Norfolk of the AHL. ... Prospal is two goals from reaching 250 in his career. ... The Ducks don't play again until Sunday when they host Colorado, a five-day break that is their longest since March 31-April 4, 2008. ... Columbus hasn't won since a 3-2 shootout victory at Nashville in its season opener. ... Ducks rookie Viktor Fasth, one of just three goalies in NHL history to win their first eight starts, got the night off.

[Associated Press; By BETH HARRIS]

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