The way things have gone for the Ducks this season, it’s probably a bit premature to identify any game as a turning point.
But could their 5-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 19 have served as a restart?
The Ducks have had a knack of engineering third-period comebacks this season, leading the league with four multi-goal rallies. But rallying from a 3-0 deficit and scoring five straight goals on the road against a fellow minnow, the Blue Jackets, lit a spark with the Ducks.
They won three of their next four games, including three straight heading into the NHL All-Star break, their longest winning streak of the season.
“It’s a great reminder, I guess is a better way to put it, that you’re never out of a game in this league,” said Ducks coach Dallas Eakins before the break. “With Columbus, and this is not to be disrespectful to Columbus, because we’re in the same boat as them, they’re a team that’s kind of in our same weight class. For them to hang on to a lead is going to be hard because they could be a little fragile.
“It wasn’t the first period we wanted in that game. But you’ve just got to turn your mindset to very simple goals in the game. After the first period it was: We need to get the next goal. And we can absolutely not take a penalty to let it get to four. All it takes is that one goal, or that next one, to put some doubt in the other team.”
Even when the Ducks lost in that four-game span right after the Blue Jackets win, they rallied twice to tie the Sabres before giving up three goals in the third period, falling 6-3 at Buffalo on Jan. 21.
“We want to pride ourselves on having a never-quit attitude,” forward Sam Carrick said. “Once you do it, you realize it can be done. It gives you a lot of confidence. If you keep trying and trying and it doesn’t work out, it can wear on you a little bit. When you do come back in a game — especially a three-goal deficit — it gives you that confidence that there’s…
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