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Getzlaf propels Ducks past Blue Jackets

Dec 8, 2008 - 4:48 AM By Craig Shultz PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Ryan Getzlaf scored two goals and Chris Kunitz and enforcer George Parros had two assists apiece as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-3, Sunday.

Ryan Carter, rookie Bobby Ryan and Rob Niedermayer also tallied and Jean-Sebastien Giguere finished with 29 saves en route to winning the 200th game of his career as the Ducks snapped a two-game losing streak.

Rookie Derick Brassard scored and defenseman Kris Russell and Fredrik Modin tallied 79 seconds apart for Columbus, which lost its third in a row.

The Ducks had to hold off a late rally by the Blue Jackets, but Niedermayer got a clincher with 35 seconds remaining.

"When you have that 4-1 lead, you have to be able to stay focused," Getzlaf said. "It was a position where we let up a little bit, I think. A few plays were lackadaisical and that turns into scoring chances. It's not a concern at all. It was a game that we played 55 minutes of strong tonight. We're going to take our win and go."

"I think what we did is we relaxed," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "We did some things that we shouldn't have done to let them get life. But it didn't cost us a point and that is the bottom line. We got a contribution from George (Parros), Bobby Ryan and Ryan Carter. That is a big boost for our group."

The second pick in the 2005 draft, Ryan joined the "energy line" after playing with the Ducks' top lines since being recalled from the minors on November 16.

"That's probably better for him at this point for the way things have gone for him," Carlyle said. "I didn't think he felt comfortable in some situations.

"He has to understand there is a grooming process that takes place in the NHL. It's difficult for a young player. It's not easy to step in and play second line minutes in your first season. We know he can score goals, we know he can make offensive plays."

The two assists were a career high for Parros, known more for his pugilistic skills than his playmaking.

"I am definitely happy. I just keep going forward from here. It's important for me to build on that, so I can continue the success later on in the second half of the season," Parros said. "Really, the important thing is obviously the win tonight. We're in no position to give away points, so we're happy for that."

Ryan praised his new linemate.

"Parros is a guy who's going to create space for everybody," Ryan said. "Not be being known as a fighter, but by getting in and going after pucks, and finishing hits. I think people underestimate his skills sometimes, he made a couple of nice plays today. I was standing at the backdoor wide open and he threaded the needle. It was nice."

Columbus goalie Pascal Leclaire said every game with Anaheim is a battle.

"I think whenever we play those guys, we play these kinds of games, they're pretty tough, they're pretty physical," Leclaire said. "I think we've got the team to match theirs. It's too bad that at the end, we ran out of a little bit of time.

"If we keep playing that way, we should be all right. We've just got to find a way to win those one-goal games, that's the important thing. We're never out of competing, it just seems we can't get those one-goal games. Winning teams do that, so we've got to figure out a way to win these ones."

The Blue Jackets lost three games in four days on a swing through California.

"We did some good things in San Jose and we did some good things here," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We're breaking down time and time again. We came out and had a really good first period. The second shift of the second period, we got scored on and then we got scored on in the last minute-and-a-half of play in the second period. Those are the two goals that really hurt us.

"We've got some regrouping to do now. We've played well in two games out of the three and got no points. We haven't been able to manufacture goals that we had chances for. When you get on the road and get as many chances as we did in San Jose and in Anaheim, you have to capitalize on them."

Getzlaf broke a scoreless tie 93 seconds into the second period. Kunitz took a cross-ice pass and tipped the puck back to defenseman Bret Hedican, who sent a slap shot toward the net. Getzlaf gobbled the rebound and scored off his backhand.

Getzlaf scored again late in the period, wristing a loose puck in the crease past Leclaire to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead. The goal was the 3,000th in Anaheim's franchise history.

In between, Carter made it 2-0 Ducks, gathering a pass from Ryan from along the right wing boards and putting the puck into an open side of the net.

Columbus got on the scoreboard with 4:29 remaining in the second period, as Brassard scored after the puck took an odd bounce off Hedican's calf and past Giguere into the net. The power-play goal was just the Blue Jackets second in their last 37 attempts with a man advantage. It was their 13th power-play goal this season, the same number as Anaheim 's Teemu Selanne has scored by himself.

Ryan scored on a second effort at 14:29 of the third, stuffing the puck past Pascal Leclaire after the goaltender made a pad save on his first attempt from the doorstep.

The Blue Jackets, who had been shut out in Los Angeles on Saturday, made the game interesting late. Russell scored his first goal of the season with 2:05 left, then, with Leclaire out of the net, Modin snapped a shot past Giguere at 19:14.

Niedermayer got the puck off the ensuing faceoff and went in alone to beat Leclaire with the clincher 9 seconds later.

"They came out hard and finished a lot of checks, and they played well," said Columbus defenseman Clay Wilson, a former Anaheim farmhand who had an assist on Brassard's goal in his first game this season.

"I think we came out well and we came out hard. Everybody was doing their job. There were a few letdowns and sometimes it just doesn't go your way."