"To be honest, I liked three of our games on this road trip, we just couldn't find a way to get points," added winger Ryan Strome. "Found a way in the last one in a tough stop on the way home...Played a good, hard game. Didn't give up and found a way to win. We got great contributions from everyone. That's what it takes to win in this league."
The win in Columbus also came just hours after the Ducks completed a significant trade, sending veteran defenseman Cam Fowler to St. Louis.
"It's a collective [effort], you're not going to replace Cam Fowler and his family's presence in one day," Strome said. "As a group, everyone has to take a step up whether it's on the ice or off the ice. It's a great opportunity for some young guys to get more minutes.
"Cam has a great calming presence and a great demeanor to him. That will be missed. I was really proud of the guys, the dressing room was calm and the bench was really positive. I thought we pulled in the same direction. Hopefully, it's a building block game."
The tests just get tougher this week for the Ducks though, with Winnipeg and Colorado set to visit Orange County this week. The Jets enter play Wednesday with an NHL-best 23 wins and +37 goal differential this season, and with points in four straight games after last night's 4-3 victory in San Jose.
"We really tried to get away from letting [the Sharks] get to their rush game," Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel told NHL.com's Max Miller postgame. "We clogged up the middle as much as we could. Our power play stepped up big time."
Winnipeg leads the NHL with a 23-9-1 record (47 points).
