Field Level Media
17 Mar 2023, 17:40 GMT+10
In a long season for both the Blue Jackets and Ducks, the two struggling teams will try to create some late positives when Columbus visits Anaheim on Friday.
The Blue Jackets (21-39-7, 49 points) have the fewest points in the NHL, while the Ducks (22-36-10, 54 points) rank 30th among the 32 teams.
It seemed as though the Ducks were getting into some kind of good form when they recorded points in eight of nine games (5-1-3) heading into a Tuesday matchup with the New York Islanders. Anaheim held a 2-1 lead through the first period before allowing the game's next five goals in an eventual 6-3 loss.
"We've taken some really great strides, but tonight we took a step backwards," Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. Pointing to how the Ducks had success when they "played in behind" opponents' defenses in their previous two games, Eakins felt the strategy was abandoned against New York.
"We decided that we were just going to skate through them," Eakins said. "And we turned the puck over and we turned it over again and again. We just couldn't come out of it."
The Ducks had 23 shots against the Islanders, continuing their recent difficulties in getting the puck on the net. In 11 games since Feb. 21, Anaheim is averaging a league-low 24.8 shots per game.
Columbus is 1-4-1 in its past six games, including a 4-1 road loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. A scoreless game was suddenly blown wide open in the second period, when the Blue Jackets conceded four goals in 9:04 of ice time.
The Kings' flurry chased Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov from the game, but Columbus defenseman Erik Gudbranson felt Tarasov "didn't deserve what ended up coming his way."
"(Tarasov) was tremendous at the start at the start, he made some tremendous saves," Gudbranson said. "We turned some pucks over at the blue line and it (came) back to bite us."
Michael Hutchinson stopped all nine shots faced in 26:02 of play, and the unexpected relief outing likely won't impact Hutchinson's planned status as Friday's starter. Playing on consecutive nights, the Blue Jackets were expected to split starts between the two goaltenders.
Columbus is 3-8-2 in the second half of back-to-backs this season.
Kirill Marchenko scored the Blue Jackets' only goal on Thursday. Marchenko is the third rookie in Jackets history to reach the 17-goal mark in his first NHL season, and he is well within reach of Pierre-Luc Dubois' team rookie record of 20 goals.
Anaheim backup goalie Lukas Dostal is the probable starter Friday, as John Gibson is expected to get a break after playing in eight of the Ducks' past 10 games. Dostal is 3-5-2 with a 3.90 goals against average and an .898 save percentage over 11 games this season.
Forward Jakob Silfverberg is questionable for Anaheim's lineup after missing practice Thursday due to illness.
The Ducks won the first meeting against the Blue Jackets this season, coming back from a 3-0 deficit for a 5-3 comeback win in Columbus on Jan. 19. Dating back to March 2018, the Ducks have seven wins in their past eight games against the Blue Jackets.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of New York Statesman news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to New York Statesman.
More InformationThis is the man who said: "No more drilling on federal lands, period. Period, period, period." ...
Overall in the first 25 months of his term, 6,787 drilling leases granted compared with former Trump's 6,695 in the ...
The strong arguments and the weak arguments evaluated in retrospect. ...
That's an open-ended invitation to endless military assaults in the whole hemisphere, including right here at home. ...
Legislation needs to include increases in treatment, prevention and research funding to match the proposed expansion of gambling rights. ...
Policymakers who accept housing supply skepticism risk locking us into a worsening housing affordability crisis. ...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: While chairing a meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers in Brussels this week, European Union (EU) foreign ...
BANGUI, Central African Republic: Authorities from the Central African Republic have said that nine Chinese nationals were killed and two ...
MENINDEE, Australia: After recent floods and hot weather, millions of dead fish have washed up in southeastern Australia, which authorities ...
BOISE, Idaho: Under a bill passed by the Idaho Legislature thios with a veto-proof majority, the state will allow firing ...
SACRAMENTO, California: The state of California and generic drug manufacturer Civica have announced a 10-year partnership to produce affordable, state-branded ...
CHEYENNE, Wyoming: A Wyoming bill outlawing the use or prescription of medication abortion pills, which was passed by the state's ...