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Ducks-Blue Jackets Preview

Nov 12, 2009 - 8:51 PM Anaheim (6-8-2) at Columbus (9-6-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Having made their first playoff appearance last season and now in the mix for the Central Division lead, the Columbus Blue Jackets had been looking like a team on rise.

Coach Ken Hitchcock, though, might have to convince his team of that after its latest game.

Looking to put a stunning blowout loss behind them, the Blue Jackets host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night in the teams' second meeting of the season.

Columbus (9-6-2) had won two straight and brought a five-game point streak into Wednesday's home matchup with the Red Wings - the team that swept them in the first round of the playoffs last season. Once again, Detroit proved to be much too tough for the Blue Jackets, pounding them 9-1.

Detroit scored four times early in the first period in dealing Columbus its worst home defeat ever.

"We've got to make sure this game is forgotten pretty quickly," said Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash, who scored in the second period for his sixth goal in seven games.

Steve Mason allowed three goals on six shots and was pulled after playing just 7:32. Hitchcock, though, put him back in to start the second, and Mason is likely to be back in net Friday.

"He's going to have to bury this with the rest of us," Hitchcock told the team's official Web site. "He's our guy and he's going to have to fight with the rest of us. I just felt like the (early) goals weren't his fault. He needed to catch his breath."

Hitchcock's club is two points out of first place, but he needs the Blue Jackets to immediately improve in all facets of the game. They were plagued by poor breakouts and spotty defensive-zone coverage in addition to shaky goaltending.

Columbus had a better result in its first matchup with Anaheim in 2009-10. The Blue Jackets scored four times in the second period and got two goals apiece from Nash and Jakub Voracek in a 6-4 road victory Oct. 24.

The Ducks (6-8-2) were also denied a third straight victory in their last game, a 3-1 loss to New Jersey on Wednesday that opened a four-game road trip.

Corey Perry tied the game with his 12th goal early in the second period, but the Devils responded with two goals later in the second and Martin Brodeur stopped 31 shots.

Anaheim, last in the Pacific Division, is averaging less than three goals per game.

"We didn't win any of those loose-puck battles on the power play," coach Randy Carlyle said after his team went 0 for 6 with the man advantage. "We didn't create much until the last one when we started to shoot the puck more. When you've got an opportunity, you've got to take the most of it. Giving up the short-handed goal took a lot of momentum away from us."

The Ducks are 3 for 27 on the power play in their last five games.

The Blue Jackets won two of the last three meetings with the Ducks after losing the previous five. Columbus, though, has dropped three straight and six of seven matchups with Anaheim at Nationwide Arena.