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 Defensemen Sami Vatanen, center Ryan Getzlaf and right winger
Corey Perry each contributed a goal and an assist. Rookie goaltender
John Gibson allowed just one goal, a wonky puck that fluttered in
off an Anaheim defender.
The seven-game surge might be considered more of a two-week streak,
as the Ducks have won all their games during that span. Anaheim
coach Bruce Boudreau said he divided the season into one-week
increments, a practice he began after inheriting a Capitals team and
a Ducks team that were buried deep in the standings when he was
hired.
"It's great, you want to build that identity, especially in our
building," Getzlaf, the Ducks captain said.
"We're just playing, we're trying to win our weeks and keep things
going every day."
Columbus took a penalty in the first minute and the Ducks took
advantage on the ensuing power play. Vatanen faked a shot and
dropped the puck to a cutting Perry, who zig-zagged to the goal
mouth to backhand his league-leading 10th goal of the year. Anaheim
led 1-0 just 88 seconds into the game.
Perry had a hat trick in the Ducks' previous game, a 4-1 victory
over Buffalo on Wednesday.
"He's feeling it right now," Boudreau said. "Every time he's
touching the puck, he's thinking that he's going to score."
Seconds later, the Ducks had to kill a penalty and did so while
allowing just one shot on goal during the Blue Jackets' man
advantage.
In a period loaded with special teams action, the Ducks netted
another power-play goal off a Vatanen slap shot from above the right
faceoff circle at 8:37 to go up 2-0. It was Vatanen's third goal of
the season -- all three in his last three games, including two
against St. Louis on Sunday.
Boudreau lauded Vatanen's fake and pass on the first tally as well
as his hard shot through a sound Perry screen on the second marker.
Left winger Scott Hartnell halved the Ducks' lead on the Blue
Jackets' second power-play opportunity. With six minutes left in the
first period, he chipped a puck off Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm
and into the net. The goal was Hartnell's first of the season and
his first as a Blue Jacket.
The Ducks dominated possession in the second period, expanding their
shots-on-goal advantage to 16-7 before extending their lead to 3-1
just over 13 minutes into the second period. Left winger Devante
Smith-Pelly redirected a wobbling puck off a Perry centering pass
for his second goal of the season.
"It's tough to get shots when you're playing in the defensive zone a
lot, when you're chasing the puck around," Hartnell said.
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Hartnell and defenseman Jack Johnson both said they felt a
sluggish start and a 2-0 deficit were difficult to surmount,
although they managed to do so last night at San Jose. "They have
too much talent to put them on the power play right away," Johnson
said. "We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole."
The Blue Jackets rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 4-3 to topple the
Sharks in San Jose on Thursday, but they had no such gusto on the
second night of a back-to-back set.
Columbus was doubled up 34-17 in shots on goal and generated a
negligible number of scoring chances. A late power play yielded a
strong opportunity that went for naught, only to see the Blue
Jackets immediately surrender two short-handed shots to Anaheim.
"Limiting that team to under 20 shots is a real coup, no matter how
many they've got injured or if they played last night," Boudreau
said.
Getzlaf cemented the Ducks' victory with an empty-net goal with 2:27
left to play, notching his third goal of the season.
NOTES: The Ducks recorded a seven-game winning streak for the fourth
time since the start of last season. They are the only team to
record multiple streaks of seven or more in that time span. ...
Ducks D Clayton Stoner returned to the lineup after being a healthy
scratch Wednesday, replacing Mark Fistric in the lineup. ... The
Ducks were without LW Dany Heatley (groin), RW Kyle Palmieri
(ankle), LW Patrick Maroon (knee) and D Bryan Allen (lower body).
... Columbus used the same lineup as they did Thursday in San Jose.
... The Blue Jackets continued to miss RW Nathan Horton (back), C
Boone Jenner (hand), C Brandon Dubinsky (abdomen) and D Ryan Murray
(knee), all key players who have yet to suit up for Columbus this
season. ... C Marko Dano and G Curtis McElhinney (neck) were also
out of action with injuries for Columbus.
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reserved.]
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