Blue Jackets at Ducks
Two teams desperately clinging to the second wild-card spot in their respective conferences face off Friday as the Columbus Blue Jackets continue their California trip against the Anaheim Ducks. Columbus sits two points ahead of Carolina in the Eastern Conference after beginning its trek Thursday with a 5-2 loss at Los Angeles.
Cam Atkinson and defenseman Seth Jones scored first-period goals as the Blue Jackets built a 2-0 lead before allowing five unanswered tallies en route to their third defeat in four road games. Anaheim is even in points with St. Louis in the West but has been idle since Sunday, when it kicked off a four-game homestand with a 6-5 shootout loss to Edmonton. Rickard Rakell was the offensive star for the Ducks, registering his first career hat trick - including two goals in the final 21 seconds of the third period - to help earn the team a point. The 24-year-old Swede leads the team with 25 tallies and 51 points, which matches the career high he set last season.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet360, FS Ohio (Columbus), FS West (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (32-27-5): Thomas Vanek made his debut for the team after being acquired from Vancouver at Monday's trade deadline, recording one shot and a minus-1 rating in just over 13:32 of ice time. The 34-year-old Austrian is three goals away from reaching 20 for the 11th time in his career and first since 2014-15 with Minnesota. Atkinson has tallied in three straight contests while Artemi Panarin has collected three goals and four assists during his six-game point streak.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (31-21-12): Chris Kelly hopes to make his debut with the team Friday after signing a one-year contract Monday. The 37-year-old center, who served as captain of the Canadian team that captured the bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics last week, registered five goals and seven assists in 82 games with Ottawa last season. Jason Chimera, a 38-year-old left wing, also is looking to suit up for Anaheim for the first time since being acquired at Monday's trade deadline from the New York Islanders, for whom he recorded two goals and nine assists in 58 contests.
OVERTIME
1. The Ducks are 25-for-26 on the penalty kill since Feb. 9.
2. Columbus LW Matt Calvert is expected to skate in his 400th NHL game Friday.
3. Anaheim D Hampus Lindholm notched an assist Sunday, leaving him three shy of 100 for his career.