Anaheim will look to earn its first victory of the trip tonight after back-to-back losses in Pennsylvania earlier this week, an OT setback against the Penguins before a 5-2 loss to the Flyers.
"It was a tough game on our end," forward Adam Henrique said of Tuesday's loss in Philly. "Mental mistakes cost us on a few of their goals, and were probably preventable. Then you get behind the 8-ball. For us, we didn't find a way to turn it around. We're not in a position to come back from three or four goals. Those mistakes cost us."
The back-to-back losses pushed Anaheim's winless streak to five games, four of which came against projected playoff clubs.
"We need to focus on our team game and be sharp within our systems," Henrique said. "We can't be giving away freebies, if you'll call it that, where we don't make those mental mistakes. We need better support of each other through our systems and through our play. Having that support on the ice is big. That's a key part to moving forward on the road trip."
Despite the struggles, Henrique's play has been a clear bright spot for the Ducks of late as the verstatile veteran forward has goals in three straight games and has taken an increased role in an improving penalty kill.
"I think it's just trying to work within the system, work together, and the goals are kind of the end result of that, sometimes," the ever-humble Henrique said. "If we've been playing the right way, those will come. Whether it's from me or someone else on the line."
The Ducks will pay their annual visit to Columbus to take on a Blue Jackets team in a similarly rebuilding spot. The Blue Jackets currently sit last in the NHL by point percentage (.318), but have been much better this season on home ice (10-14-1) than on the road (3-15-1).
Columbus last played Tuesday night in a 2-1 loss at Nashville. The Jackets fired 40 shots on net in the loss, their second-best total of the season, but could only get one past netminder Kevin Lankinen, who backstopped the Preds to victory.
"It's a heck of a game on the road,"
Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen told Jackets Insider Jeff Svoboda
. "I thought we played very well. First period they come. We know they're going to come hard in their building, especially early. They have some heavy bodies, they forecheck well, they funnel a ton of pucks to the net. I thought Daniil settled us in, and the second, you come out of the second period down 2-0, we didn't give up a lot. It's two coverage mistakes (on their goals) that guys know. It's unfortunate because we are doing a lot of good things. And then the third, we gave up one chance in the third. We generated a ton. Their goalie was good."
Tonight's game will also feature the first NHL matchup between longtime friends and 2021 draftees Mason McTavish and Kent Johnson. Teammates for Canada's 2021 World Junior Championship team that captured gold on Johnson's OT winner, seconds after
