COLUMBUS, Ohio – There are 20-some games and seven weeks left in the NHL season. Customizable Browns Jersey . Yet the Anaheim Ducks consider each night important enough to make or break their season. Corey Perry had a goal and two assists, four teammates also scored and the Ducks ended a three-game slide, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Saturday night. We described it as the most important game of the year, coach Randy Carlyle said about his decision to go with Jean-Sebastien Giguere in goal for the second night in a row. So are you not going to play your best people? Simple as that. It makes the decision easy. The game pitted two of the 11 teams within 10 points of the final four playoffs spots in the Western Conference at the start of the day. Perry said all the Ducks know they cant afford any more slip-ups. We know whats ahead of us and whos ahead of us in the standings, he said. Were chasing some teams that were playing next. We have to have the two points every night. Chris Pronger, Brendan Morrison, Chris Kunitz and Bobby Ryan also scored for the Ducks, who showed no ill effects from playing back-to-back nights to start a season-long six-game trip. Ryan Getzlaf and Scott Niedermayer each had two assists, and Giguere stopped 26 shots while squaring his record at 15-15-4. Giguere had been manhandled in a 5-2 loss in Detroit on Friday night. This feels great. After a tough loss yesterday, tonight was a must-win game, he said. We answered the bell. We were physical, we fought, we scored some goals. It was a big road game. We have to have that kind of effort. Rick Nash had a goal and an assist, and Kristian Huselius also scored for Columbus, which had picked up points in its previous seven games. Clinging to a 2-1 lead late in the second period, the Ducks picked up two quick goals to put the game out of reach. They came on the Ducks only two shots of the period. They had eight shots in the opening period and only five the rest of the night – but scored on three of them. We scored on our chances, thats really the difference in the hockey game, Carlyle said. Tonight pucks went in for us. We were fortunate. We made the most of our opportunities. First, Perry beat Columbus defenceman Jan Hejda to a loose puck in the offensive zone and swooped in on goalie Steve Mason, beating him with a low, hard shot between his leg pads for his 21st of the season. Less than four minutes later, Perry collected the puck behind the goal and, while two Blue Jackets collided trying to get to the puck, he slid a centring pass that Kunitz jammed in. The Ducks couldnt score in their only previous meeting against Mason, a rookie sensation who shut them out on New Years Eve in Anaheim. But they needed only 3:26 to get on the board this time. Midway through a power play, Pronger netted a hard one-timer from the right point that sliced under Masons glove. Anaheim then added an even-strength goal. Brian Salcido, playing in his second game, picked up his first NHL point when he drove the puck along the boards to Morrison behind the Columbus net. Morrison tried a wraparound that bounced off the stick of Blue Jackets defenseman Mike Commodore and past a surprised Mason. Mason would probably like to have a couple of them back, but hes saved our bacon more than anybody could imagine, Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. The Blue Jackets were playing their sixth game in nine days – and ended up with their only regulation loss (4-1-1). We cant use that as an excuse, Mason said. Every team in this league has the same kind of schedule. We have to take it for what it is and get ready for the next game. It wasnt a very good game at all – pretty brutal. Late in a chippy first period in which there were 34 penalty minutes, four fighting majors and a couple of other altercations, Giguere stopped but could not immediately cover a slap shot by Jason Williams. The Blue Jackets R.J. Umberger took a couple of whacks at it, but the official blew his whistle while the puck was still loose beneath the prone Giguere. One more try by Umberger put it in the net, although it was disallowed – touching off a chorus of boos from a capacity crowd. On the road, with little room for error, the Ducks know they have their backs against the wall. Theyre all big from here on in, defenceman Scott Niedermayer said. Notes: The Blue Jackets claimed C Chris Gratton off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, and also placed D Ole-Kristian Tollefsen on injured reserve and recalled D Aaron Rome from Syracuse (AHL). … The Ducks, the most penalized team in the NHL, gave the Blue Jackets five consecutive power plays in the first and second periods. Columbus, last in the league on the power play, was unable to convert until the last one. … Anaheim improved to 17-12-3 against Columbus, with wins in six of the last seven meetings. … Getzlaf took a shot off an ankle in the third period and hobbled to the dressing room. Jordy Nelson Jersey . Louis Blues will be featured on NHL media conference calls today. 49ers Patrick Willis Jersey . US-China trade deficit is caused by the shift in international division of labor and of industries against the backdrop of globalization, said Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Zhong Shan in a speech at the US Chamber of Commerce. Baltimore Ravens Ray Rice Jersey . The Grizzlies, who are trying to end a four-year postseason drought, currently hold the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoff race, two games ahead of Houston with just eight to play. Replica Ryan Clark Jersey . They are still a big worry late in the post-season for a team that went from leading by 15 points with seven minutes left to losing both a game and home-court advantage in the NBA finals. Marques Colston Jersey . Neither the Bulls nor Thunder look to me like teams that can win the necessary three in a row to win their respective series. Saints Brees Jersey . Related readings: China vows harsh punishment on food safety crimes Fairness of fair trade: A food for thought 2 killed in US food plant shooting Nation at food security crossroads Henan University of Industry said the campus clinic began to receive students suffering from stomachaches and diarrhea, some of whom had been vomiting, at around 2 a. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Hosmer, a first baseman, had been hitting .439 with three homers and 15 RBI in 26 games at Triple-A Omaha. To make room for him the Royals optioned Kila Kaaihue, who had been batting a mere . Tony Romo Jersey . The man, surnamed Chen, was on the bus to his hometown in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region when it crashed into a truck and went up in flames. Lawrence, KS (Sports Network) – Marcus Morris finished with a game-high 22 points on 10-of-12 from the field and Markieff Morris added 12 points and 13 rebounds, as seventh-ranked Kansas rolled to a 79-44 victory over Valparaiso in the regional round of the Las Vegas Invitational. Marcus added 11 rebounds and four assists and Tyrel Reed supplied 11 points for the Jayhawks (2-0), who opened their season with a convincing 113-75 victory over Longwood on Friday. If you can get one of them not to foul, and play more than two minutes in the first half, theyre good, said Kansas head coach Bill Self on the Morris twins. They are good players. They do a little bit of everything. The games still a little slow motion for them for the most part. Cory Johnson finished with 10 points and seven rebounds to lead the Crusaders (1-1), who began the season with an 111-64 victory over IU Northwest. Brandon Wood contributed nine points and seven rebounds in the loss. Kansas jumped out to a slim 23-16 lead midway through the first but took a 44-27 margin heading to the lockeer room. Cowboys Felix Jones Jersey. The Jayhawks hit 17-of-29 from the field in the first half. Markieff converted a Marcus steal into a dunk at 18:24 in the second, and after a missed Ryan Broekhoff three, he landed his own trey to put Kansas up by 22. The Jayhawks continued to add on down the stretch. Were disappointed that we didnt play better tonight, said Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew. I think you have to complement KU – their speed really hurt us in transition early. They jumped on us early with their speed and the physicality inside on their offensive boards. Once we were able to kind of negate that, we got it down to six points and I thought that if we could continue that tempo that would make a huge difference. Next thing I know, we were down by 20. GAME NOTES:Kansas has won all three meetings against the Crusaders…The Jayhawks hit 53.4 percent of their shots; Valparaiso only 27.4 percent…Kansas is still without freshman Josh Shelby, who is dealing with eligibility issues…Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor both ended with eight points. Wholesale Jerseys. Related readings: China allocates more relief funds for flood-hit south Flood in Qinghai fills streets, clogs traffic Southwestern township isolated by flood Flood control Most flights to and from the Jiangbei International Airport of the city have been delayed. ' ' '
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