The Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif.—After a miserable start to the season, the Anaheim Ducks have climbed all the way back into playoff position.
That might not seem like much in the jumbled Pacific Division, but for now they’ll gladly take it.
Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler each scored a power-play goal as the Ducks earned at least one point for the sixth-straight game with a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets last night.
Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry also scored while John Gibson made 19 saves for the Ducks as they opened an eight-game homestand vital to their post-season hopes.
After taking the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to Game 7 of the Western Conference final last year, Anaheim started this season by winning just one of its first 10 games.
Now, the Ducks again are playing like a team capable of a deep run.
“The start of the year wasn’t easy for our group, and having gone through it, hopefully we appreciate where we are at now and continue to play this way,” said captain Ryan Getzlaf.
Tyler Myers scored for the Jets while Michael Hutchinson stopped 31 shots.
After sweeping Winnipeg in the first round of last year’s playoffs, the Ducks won the first meeting this season with the kind of offensive outburst that had been lacking.
Anaheim improved to 8-0-0 when scoring four or more goals this season.
“We’ve been playing a lot better on a consistent basis and now we’re seeing some results,” Getzlaf noted. “Hopefully we can continue that.
“Tonight it paid off offensively.”
Gibson picked up his first career assist on Perry’s 14th goal of the season—only to see his scoreless streak end minutes later after a shot by Myers redirected off an Anaheim stick and in.
Gibson had not allowed a goal in the previous 184:30, including consecutive 1-0 wins at Calgary and Edmonton.
It was the third-longest streak in franchise history.
“We were the slower team on the ice from start to finish, really,” said coach Paul Maurice.
“We had a few good chances but not enough to warrant us being in that game.”
And while Winnipeg couldn’t get out of its own way on special teams one night after dominating San Jose in a 4-1 win, Anaheim’s league-best penalty kill did not yield a goal in four opportunities.
Put it all together and the Ducks are inching closer to where they want to be.
“We’re not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination but we are playing a little better,” said coach Bruce Boudreau.
Elsewhere in the NHL, Chicago blanked Ottawa 3-0, Florida edged Minnesota 2-1, and the N.Y. Islanders topped Dallas 6-5.
