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Ducks edge Blue Jackets on Frank Vatrano’s OT goal, snap 3-game skid

October 25, 2023

Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) makes a save as teammate Ilya Lyubushkin, right, and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner, left, and Kirill Marchenko look for a rebound during the second period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Ducks’ Troy Terry, left, and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ David Jiricek fight for the puck during the first period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Emil Bemstrom, left, celebrates his goal with Cole Sillinger during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, left, makes a save against the Ducks’ Adam Henrique during the first period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, left, tries to clear the puck as the Ducks’ Brett Leason defends during the first period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ David Jiricek, left, looks for a shot as the Ducks’ Cam Fowler defends during the second period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner, left, and the Ducks’ Bo Groulx compete for the puck during the second period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Ducks’ Ilya Lyubushkin, right, chases the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Kirill Marchenko behind the net during the second period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Ducks’ Urho Vaakanainen, left, keeps the puck away from the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sean Kuraly during the second period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Ducks’ Sam Carrick, left, and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sean Kuraly vie for the puck as the Ducks’ Ross Johnston, right, chases after them during the third period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Ducks’ Frank Vatrano, right, and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Damon Severson vie for the puck during the third period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Erik Gudbranson, right, chases the Ducks’ Bo Groulx during the third period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Damon Severson, left, and the Ducks’ Frank Vatrano chase the puck during the third period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Ducks’ Brett Leason, right, skates past the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Damon Severson during the third period on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, left, carries the puck across the blue line as the Ducks’ Troy Terry defends during overtime on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

The Ducks’ Frank Vatrano, left, celebrates his game-winning overtime goal as Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins skates away on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. The Ducks won, 3-2. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

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By NICOLE KRAFT The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ducks started their first extended road trip of the season in an ideal way – with their first road win.

Frank Vatrano scored on a breakaway 2:40 into overtime and Lukas Dostal stopped 34 shots as the Ducks snapped a three-game skid, rallying to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, on Tuesday night to begin their four-game trip.

The Ducks twice erased one-goal deficits and pulled even with goals by Ryan Strome and Brett Leason on the way to their fifth straight victory against Columbus.

“I thought our penalty killing really won the game for us,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. “A lot of guys did a great job blocking shots. They just kept persevering. I thought we were flat in the first period, standing around watching them skate, and we kind of woke up second and third periods. Just really happy with the energy and the effort our guys play with.”

In the overtime, Benoit-Olivier Groulx picked up a loose puck in his own zone and sent a pass to a streaking Vatrano near center ice, and the 29-year-old winger beat Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on the stick side.

“Just quick transition play, three-on-three,” Vatrano said. “It was a great pass and I was fortunate to put it in the net.”

Adam Fantilli had a goal and an assist, his first multi-point NHL game, and Emil Bemstrom scored for the Blue Jackets, who had a two-game wins streak halted. Merzlikins stopped 24 shots.

“I’m disappointed for the players,” Blue Jackets coach Pascale Vincent said. “They’re working hard. Anaheim is a hard-working team and they transition really well.

“We had our chances – (17) shots in the third period, (37) chances total. These are games we usually win.”

After squandering a pair of power-play chances in the first period, the Blue Jackets capitalized on a third when Bemstrom scored his first of the season from the left circle at 16:49. Ivan Provorov set up the goal with his fifth assist in five games.

The Ducks got the equalizer when Strome scored off an odd-man rush, burying the rebound of a shot by Pavel Mintyukov at 15:49 of the second, his first goal of the season.

The score remained tied until Columbus’ Fantilli beat Dostal from the left circle at 9:13 for his second career goal and second in as many games.

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That lead held until Leason beat Merzlikins between the pads at 16:13 of the third.

Vatrano secured two points for the Ducks with his overtime winner.

BACK IN BLACK

The game, set for 6:30 p.m. local time, was delayed two hours when an underground cable that feeds power to the area failed and plunged Nationwide Arena into darkness at 1:06 p.m. Power was restored 4½ hours later and the puck dropped at 8:30 p.m.

INJURY UPDATE

The Blue Jackets placed Patrik Laine on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 20 and recalled forward Dmitri Voronkov from AHL Cleveland, who did not play. Laine is day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered in Friday’s 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.