The Ducks express positivity ahead of their upcoming matchup with the Jackets.

The Ducks express positivity ahead of their upcoming matchup with the Jackets…

Back from a rollercoaster road journey that may hint at brighter prospects ahead, the Anaheim Ducks will face a challenge as they welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

Anaheim is coming off a morale-boosting 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have a quick turnaround following a 5-1 defeat on the road against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

The Ducks rebounded with a victory over Buffalo after enduring a tough 9-2 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs just two days prior. During that game, Anaheim conceded eight goals in the first two periods, with goalkeepers Lukas Dostal and John Gibson each allowing four goals.

Gibson showcased his skills on Monday, making 34 saves, including a remarkable glove stop near the post on Tage Thompson to maintain the lead with 8:19 remaining.

“Troy Terry said after contributing a goal and two assists in the win that Gibson is often overlooked because of his consistent performance every night. He’s truly the backbone of our team,” Ducks forward Troy Terry stated. “Some of the saves he made tonight were just incredible.”

Frank Vatrano netted two second-period goals, and Mason McTavish provided three assists as the Ducks secured their 20th win of the season. Anaheim concluded its Eastern Conference road trip with a record of 2-2-0 and has been 5-3-1 since January 23.

“We started playing better,” McTavish commented during the Bally Sports West broadcast. “Obviously, we had a great second period and shut it down in the third.”

Similarly, despite Tuesday’s four-goal loss, the Blue Jackets have shown some improvement lately. They hold a record of 3-4-1 since January 25 and have accumulated 17 wins for the season.

Boone Jenner, the captain of the Blue Jackets, is setting an example for his young team. The Columbus management sees Jenner as an essential figure and has no plans to trade him. Jenner, who leads the team with 17 goals despite missing 15 games due to injury, assisted on the Blue Jackets’ lone goal scored by Adam Boqvist on Tuesday.

“There are no intentions of trading him,” said John Davidson, the team’s president of hockey operations. “I get lots of calls on Boone. Boone wants to be a Blue Jacket. Boone’s happy to be a Blue Jacket. He wants to lead us out of where we are right now and help get us to where we want to go.”

Davidson, who also serves as the interim general manager, took over after Jarmo Kekalainen was dismissed last week. The Blue Jackets are concluding their three-game California trip with Wednesday’s game, following a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and Tuesday’s loss to the Kings.