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Ducks beat Blue Jackets, 4-1, extending win streak to seven games

Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson, left, pursues Ducks forward Devante Smith-Pelly behind the net during Anaheim's 4-1 win over Columbus on Friday at Honda Center.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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In constructing a winning streak that reached seven games Friday, the Ducks have established an identity of thinking defense first and letting their offensive leaders do their thing.

Putting 21-year-old John Gibson back in net 15 days after the uncharacteristic opening performance they’ve built from only sharpened that focus.

The Ducks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-1, at Honda Center as Corey Perry scored his ninth goal, center Ryan Getzlaf increased his points total to 12 and Gibson needed to save 16 of 17 shots.

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“We’ve been playing well lately, keeping the shots down, that makes my job a lot easier,” said Gibson, who was deluged by 39 shots, giving up six goals, in the Ducks’ Oct. 9 season-opening loss in Pittsburgh. “That’s why we’ve got a nice win streak going.”

The Ducks (7-1) have not only duplicated their start from last season, but done so by limiting the opposition to one goal or less in five of their past six games.

“We’re trying to take the same approach — nice to put some good games together,” said Getzlaf, who notched his NHL-leading ninth assist on Devante Smith-Pelly’s second-period goal and added an empty net goal himself.

“[John] came back playing well too, that’s good to see.”

Perry, following a hat trick Wednesday capped by two goals in the final 2:43 of that game against Buffalo, upped his NHL-best goals total by scoring just 88 seconds into Friday’s affair.

On a power play caused by Columbus defenseman David Savard’s hooking penalty, Perry took a pass from defenseman Sami Vatanen, kept the puck on his stick while sailing in front of Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, then delivered a backhand to the net once past the goalie.

Columbus started the night as the NHL’s second-ranked penalty killing team after stopping 15 of 16 power plays, but the Ducks scored twice on their first two-man advantages.

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“We weren’t ready to start the game,” Blue Jackets Coach Todd Richards said.

Anaheim’s lead became 2-0 just 8:37 in when Vatanen scored his third goal in three games.

The Ducks’ post-Pittsburgh trend of increased hitting and team-wide attention to puck possession continued as they limited Columbus to five first-period shots.

Gibson was beaten only on a first-period accident, when Blue Jackets forward Scott Hartnell got his stick on a puck that bounced off the right leg of Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm into the goal.

Smith-Pelly led the physical charge with six hits, and his work was rewarded when he pushed a shot between the legs of Bobrovsky 13:06 into the second period.

“We played a pretty complete 60 minutes,” Smith-Pelly said. “We let John down in the first game. It was good to have this solid effort in front of him.”

The Blue Jackets (4-3) received a scare in the third period when forward Cam Atkinson was accidentally cut near the right eye when the skate of Ducks center Ryan Kesler came up high.

“I can see. Thank God I can see,” Atkinson told the Columbus Dispatch after the game.

Follow Lance Pugmire on Twitter @latimespugmire

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