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Ducks beat Blue Jackets 3-1

Dec 13, 2009 - 2:44 AM By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio(AP) -- Dan Sexton, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry scored goals and Jonas Hiller stopped 35 shots to power the Anaheim Ducks past the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-1 on Saturday night.

It was Hiller's first win since Nov. 19 and ended a personal three-game losing skid.

The game was surprisingly dominated by defense, despite featuring two teams who have given up the most goals in the Western Conference.

R.J. Umberger had the lone goal for the Blue Jackets, who had won both earlier meetings with Anaheim this season but have lost 10 of their last 12 overall.

The Ducks, who came in having lost six of seven, weathered almost a minute with a two-man disadvantage while holding a one-goal lead early in the third period.

Ryan had an assist to go with his goal, and Ryan Whitney added two assists.

Perry scored the clincher while the Ducks where hanging on to a 2-1 lead. With 6:13 left and Anaheim on the power play, Whitney back-handed a perfect setup to Perry in the high slot who one-timed it in for this 16th goal of the season.

Sexton, who played collegiately about 2 hours away at Bowling Green last season, got things going for the Ducks late in the first period, notching his fourth goal in five games since being called up on Dec. 4 from Manitoba of the AHL.

After a Columbus rush, the Ducks had a 4-on-2 as they hurried down the ice. Ryan's shot was stopped by Columbus goalie Steve Mason, the puck bouncing around in the slot before it ended up going to Sexton right of the net. He slipped the puck off the near post and it ricocheted off Mason into the net.

The teams traded goals in the final minute of the second period.

First, Ryan made it 2-0 with a spectacular, highlight-reel goal.

He took a long pass from Sheldon Brookbank at the blue line and then skated around defenseman Kris Russell while barreling toward the goal. Ryan was tripped by Russell's stick as he bore down on Mason. While flying horizontal to the ice, he flicked the puck into the net.

It was Ryan's 50th career goal and 14th of the season.

Less than 20 seconds later, however, Columbus cut the lead in half when Umberger collected the puck behind the goal line, moved it to his forehand, and threw it at net. It hit Hiller's left skate and went into the net.

In the third period, the Blue Jackets had almost a minute with a 5-on-3 advantage and wasn't able to get a shot.

One of Hiller's biggest saves came when he stymied Raffi Torres' backhander off a rebound midway through the third.

NOTES: Earlier in the day, Columbus activated LW Fredrik Modin off the injured list and assigned C Derek MacKenzie to the club's AHL affiliate in Syracuse. ... Anaheim, which lost at Detroit in overtime Friday night, came into the game winless (0-2-2) in the second game of back-to-backs this season. ... Blue Jackets RW Derek Dorsett traded punches with Anaheim tough guy Mike Brown in the first period, sustained an undisclosed injury and did not return. ... Brown played in his 99th career NHL game.