Two teams at the bottom of their division will try to start improving on Saturday when the Anaheim Ducks face the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Anaheim has struggled, scoring only seven goals during a five-game losing streak (0-4-1).
Columbus hasn’t had much more success, with only 13 goals in their last six games (1-4-1).
In Anaheim’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, defenseman Jackson LaCombe recorded a goal and an assist.
Despite the loss, Anaheim head coach Greg Cronin saw some positives in his team’s effort.
“We skated more (Thursday),” Cronin said, comparing it to their 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
“Ottawa was skating 100 miles an hour, and we were skating about 60, and I thought (Thursday) we had a lot of pace and urgency. You worry about getting in late at night and some energy starts to drop. At the start of the third period, we lost a little bit of our energy but we brought it back midway through the third. It was unfortunate we couldn’t get a point.”
Anaheim won their last game against Columbus 4-2 at home on November 10. LaCombe also scored in that game, and Trevor Zegras had a season-high 22:05 of ice time.
However, Zegras will not be playing in the rematch after having surgery on Thursday to fix a torn meniscus in his right knee. He is expected to miss about six weeks.
For Columbus, Zach Werenski scored a power-play goal in his second straight game on Thursday, but the Blue Jackets lost 2-1 in overtime to the Washington Capitals.
Werenski became the first defenseman in franchise history to score 100 goals.
“It doesn’t really mean much, but it is cool for sure,” Werenski said. “When you look back at your career, as a defenseman … I don’t want to stop there, but it’s a milestone for sure. It’s a cool moment.”
His power-play goal in the second period on Thursday extended his home point streak to eight games.
Kent Johnson assisted on Werenski’s goal, extending his point streak to three games (three goals, two assists).
Like Anaheim, Columbus is also looking for positives and found one in Jet Greaves. Greaves made 35 saves in his season debut after being called up from AHL Cleveland.
“I think there are a lot of positives I’ll take going forward and also some things I’ll look at try to learn from and get better at moving forward,” Greaves said. “I felt comfortable. The guys did a good job in front of me, and that made the game a little bit simpler.”
Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason also praised the 23-year-old goaltender.
“Fantastic. Obviously, it’s a team game but I’d argue he won a point for us,” Evason said. “For us to get a point in that game is fortunate.”
