Max Jones scored the tying goal on a breakaway with 2:37 left and the Ducks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4 on Friday night in a matchup of teams near the bottom of the NHL standings.
Jones blocked a shot by Columbus’ Andrew Peeke while trying to get the puck into the Blue Jackets’ offensive zone. The shot went off the shaft of Jones’ stick before he got possession of the puck near center ice. Jones then beat Michael Hutchinson with his stick back on the sideline for his seventh goal of the season.
“It was a big goal. Definitely one of the biggest goals I’ve scored,” Jones said. “I told myself I was going to shoot on it, but when I crossed the blue line I saw his angles were a little off. I thought I had to go back, so it worked out well.’
Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, who made 38 saves, makes a stop on Blue Jackets’ Liam Foudy (19) in the second period.
(Jae C. Hong/Associated Press)
Scott Harrington had two goals for the Ducks, who lost two games. It was also the first multi-goal game of the defenseman’s nine-year career and came against the team he played with for six seasons.
“He’s a guy who’s not known for scoring or putting up points, but to get a pair is huge for him, and his teammates on the bench were cheering him on,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said of Harrington, who has 10 goals in 246 games. NHL games.
Troy Terry and Ryan Strome each had a goal and an assist, Trevor Zegras and Max Comtois also scored and Simon Benoit had two assists for Anaheim. Lukas Dostal stopped 38 shots.
Patrik Lain had a goal and an assist as Columbus dropped two straight and became the first team eliminated from postseason contention. Nick Blankenburg, Boone Jenner and Cole Sillinger also scored, while Hutchinson made 31 saves and had an assist.
Harrington and Strome added empty netters in the final minute to seal the win for the Ducks.
The Blue Jackets have the league lead with 49 points, while the Ducks are fourth with 56.
“We looked good there, we were coming in the third as well. I thought we found our game pretty good there for a while,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larson said. “We try to dig deep, he hits a shaft, and then we trail at the end.
Terry reached the 20-goal mark for the second straight season and gave the Ducks a 4-3 lead at 2:25 of the third period when he redirected Colton White’s pass over Hutchinson.
Laine tied it at 6:43 on the power play when he put in his own rebound after Dostal made a pad save on the opening shot from the slot.
leading the way
Zegras and Jenner, who each lead their teams in goals, found the back of the net in the first period.
Zegras opened the scoring at 3:19 when he took a pass from Strome and put it into an open net after Hutchinson thought Strome would shoot. It was Zegras’ 22nd of the season and also gave him 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his last 10 games.
Jenner tied the game at 2 with 31 seconds left in the first period when she went inside the right faceoff circle into the top corner for the 23rd.
Sillinger’s drought ends
Sillinger scored on the power play for the first time in 46 games at 16:35 of the second period to tie the game at 3. Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson fired a pass from the right faceoff circle for his first goal since Nov. 17. Montreal.
Sillinger, the youngest player in the NHL last season, had 16 goals and 31 points as a rookie. He has only three goals and 10 points this season.
“I think it’s pretty good, but a goal in many games, obviously I ask more of myself. But, it’s a good start,” said Sillinger.
Next up for the Ducks: host the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.