Ducks Improve Their Standing

There have been a few times that the Mighty Ducks have been grouped with the top six teams. Usually in June, heading into the draft.

This season the Ducks are hanging out with teams concerned with playoff prospects rather than future prospects.

Their 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in front of an announced 11,641 Wednesday allowed the Ducks to leapfrog the Minnesota Wild into sixth in the Western Conference. Even the fans in the half-empty Arrowhead Pond, who cheered when the Wild score was posted, seemed aware the Ducks have reached level rarely known to them.

Paul Kariya, Petr Sykora and Adam Oates continued to sizzle as a line, getting the Ducks’ first goal. Jean-Sebastien Giguere was again the most formidable player on the ice, picking up his club-record seventh shutout this season. Steve Rucchin had an empty-net goal with four seconds left to put the finishing touches on a victory that gave the Ducks a 13-4-1-1 record in their last 19 games.

They have the 10th most points in the NHL with 68.

“What counts where we’ll be in six weeks from now,” Giguere said. “I think we can go as far as we want to go. We can play with any team in this league and we can beat any team in this league.”

They can when Giguere plays to this level. He made 26 saves to move into a tie for the league lead in shutouts.

“Getting the team record is pretty sweet,” Giguere said. “But it is a reflection of how the team plays. I can’t do it by myself.”

He did on many occasions Wednesday. Giguere propped the Ducks up by frustrating the Blue Jackets.

“Every night he’s out there giving us a chance,” Sykora said. “He can be the most important player out there.”

Ray Whitney could have done without him.

Whitney had scoring chances from the start. Giguere turned away his one-timer from the slot less than a minute into the game. It got worse for Whitney, who had six shots.

Twice in the second, Whitney had the puck alone in front of Giguere. A centering pass left Whitney with the puck nine minutes into the period. He deked and tried a backhand shot that Giguere smothered.

With less than two minutes left in the period, Whitney broke alone only to have Giguere get a body on his try.

“We gave up a lot of chances,” Duck Coach Mike Babcock said. “We were able to learn a lesson and win the game. Those are the best kind of lessons.”

The Blue Jackets were denied in the first period by Giguere and the Ducks’ penalty killers, who began the game ranked atop the NHL. The Ducks survived four power plays, including a five-on-three situation for 1:34 in the second period.

Columbus goalie Marc Denis was nearly as effective, but what may be the hottest line in the NHL got one past him 3:47 into the second period. Sykora hustled to retrieve a loose puck and set up Kariya behind the net. Kariya came out the other side and wrapped a shot past Denis.

Oates also assisted on the play, giving the trio 21 goals and 38 assists in the last 19 games.

“It’s nice to be it and to have every game count,” said Kariya, who scored his 22nd goal. “It makes it fun to come to the rink every day.”