John Gibson returns to a victory in Ducks' full-team effort over Columbus

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Sunday night offered a sweet bit of relief for the Anaheim Ducks, as the team got back into the win column with the return of its longtime star netminder.

John Gibson made 39 saves in his first start of the season, and the Ducks got goals from up and down a jumbled line-up for a 4-2 victory over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets at Honda Center.

The Ducks (5-7-2) snapped a four-game losing streak, while the Blue Jackets (5-7-2) lost their fifth straight game.

“I played catch-up a lot (during) training camp and the last few weeks,” Gibson said. “Credit to the guys for coming on early, staying on after, shooting on me and help me get the work to prepare and get back into game speed.

“It felt pretty good as the game went on. It was a good team effort.”

Gibson was activated to back up Lukas Dostal on Friday after missing the first 12 games of the season due to an emergency appendectomy on Sept. 25. Dostal shouldered the early load in the Anaheim crease with 11 starts in the team’s first 13 games and leads the NHL in saves and shots faced.

“It was great. They’ve both been playing so well,” Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “Dosty was so good for all those games. For us, having those two, it’s obviously really important, and they keep us in a lot of games.”

Anaheim got goals with all four of its newly formed lines on the ice, as Brett Leason, LaCombe, Leo Carlsson and Isac Lundestrom found the net. Leason and LaCombe scored their firsts of the season, Carlsson scored for the first time in five games, and Lundestrom scored for the first time since the season opener.

“We’ve been trying to bingo-ball lines together,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said, “try and create some identity within the lines, which would obviously strengthen our team identity… We keep putting pucks (on net), and I think that’ll unlock some of this frustration with the scoring.”

Yegor Chinakhov and Kirill Marchenko scored for Columbus, and Daniil Tarasov made 26 saves.

The Ducks came out playing as they’ve said they’ve wanted to: getting pucks deep, forechecking and driving the net. That paid off for the fourth line three minutes into the first period.

Ross Johnston shot from the right wing, as Cutter Gauthier drove the center lane, and Gauthier collected the rebound. The rookie immediately sent a backhand pass into the crease, and Leason was there to cash in for the lead, 1-0.

On the first power play of the game, Anaheim nearly struck, as Olen Zellweger stepped up into the empty slot and rang a shot off the corner of the cage. Columbus turned back the other direction with a 2-on-1 shorthanded break that Gibson handled.

From there, the Jackets brought the pressure to Anaheim and earned its first power-play of the game, catching the Ducks on a line change and forcing an Alex Killorn slash.

On the man advantage, the Jackets worked a three-man weave between Chinakov, Marchenko and Zach Werenski, and Chinakhov released the shot to beat Gibson and tie it up, 1-1.

Anaheim has given up a power play goal in each of the last three games.

Anaheim retook the lead in the second period by again simplifying their game.

Troy Terry rung a shot off the post, and the pinch of LaCombe kept the play alive. Radko Gudas blasted a shot, and LaCombe stayed low to pop home the rebound, 2-1.

Columbus took advantage of the long defensive line change to keep the Ducks hemmed in their own zone the rest of the period. The Jackets continued to work their high weave to wear down the Ducks defenders. Columbus earned a power play off a Trevor Zegras crosscheck during one long sequence but came up empty. 

“They did a really good job clearing out the rebounds when there was rebounds, and just not letting anything back door,” Gibson said. “(We) defended from the inside out, kept them to the outside. Where there was shots, they did a good job blocking out and letting me see it.”

Anaheim extended its lead midway through the third period, as the Ducks hounded loose pucks following shot attempts and shrunk the Columbus defensive shell. 

Brian Dumoulin brought down a high puck and tapped it to Carlsson, who ripped a short one-timer to the top shelf, 3-1.

Columbus cut the lead back to one goal with just over three minutes left, as a pinballing shot found Marchenko in the slot to fire it home, 3-2.

The Blue Jackets pulled the goalie with just over two minutes remaining, but a clear into a beautiful neutral-zone passing sequence from Brock McGinn to Frank Vatrano to Lundestrom glided into the empty net for the insurance, 4-2.

Gibson flashed the leather one last time with 12 second remaining for an incredible exclamation point on a return victory.

Anaheim continues its season-long homestand against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

New Lines

Ducks coach Greg Cronin said the lines were “bingo-balled” together, as the team searched to establish some identity up and down the line-up. With the line juggling and injuries to Cam Fowler (upper-body) and Mason McTavish (upper-body), here’s how the Ducks lined up on Sunday:

Forwards:

Alex Killorn-Leo Carlsson-Ryan Strome

Frank Vatrano-Trevor Zegras-Troy Terry

Robby Fabbri-Isac Lundestrom-Brock McGinn

Ross Johnston-Brett Leason-Cutter Gauthier

Defensemen:

Pavel Mintyukov-Radko Gudas

Brian Dumoulin-Olen Zellweger

Urho Vaakanainen-Jackson LaCombe

Goalies:

John Gibson-Lukas Dostal (James Reimer)

Game Notes:

• Anaheim hosted Military Appreciation Night to honor service members and veterans of the United States armed forces. An all-female rappel group from the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy Training team dropped in from the Honda Center rafters during the pre-game festivities.

• Cam Fowler missed his second straight game due to an upper-body injury. Fowler participated in warm-ups but was a game-time decision.

• Mason McTavish was out with an upper-body injury after sitting out practice on Saturday due to tightness. McTavish scored in the final seconds on Friday. Brett Leason stepped into the line-up.