Vatrano scores in OT, lifts Ducks in win against Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS -- Frank Vatrano scored on a breakaway at 2:20 of overtime to give the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.

He scored his fifth goal in six games off a stretch pass from Bo Groulx.

“Just a quick transition play 3-on-3, Vatrano said. “I got the puck up north. … It was a great play, a great pass, and I was fortunate enough to put it into the net.

“It was a big team win tonight. We weren’t happy with our first, but the second and third was a team effort.”

Ryan Strome and Brett Leason each scored for the Ducks (2-4-0). Lukas Dostal made 35 saves.

Adam Fantilli had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (3-2-1). Emil Bemstrom also scored, and Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves.

“I'm disappointed for the players,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “We had more than double the chances for, gave up 12 chances against.

“Anaheim is a hard-working team and they transition really well. But we had our chances, 17 shots in the third period, 28 chances total. These are games we usually win.”

Bemstrom scored a power-play goal on an assist from Fantilli to make it 1-0 at 16:49 of the first period. His first point of the season was a one-timer from the left circle.

Strome tied it 1-1 at 15:49 of the second period, scoring the rebound off a shot by Pavel Mintyukov on a 2-on-1.

Fantilli gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead at 9:13 of the third period with his second goal in as many games. He scored from the top of the circle for the rookie forward’s first multipoint game in the NHL.

“Anytime you get to score it feels good, but winning feels a lot better and I’m a little bitter about that,” he said.

Leason tied it 2-2 at 16:13 after Columbus defenseman Damon Severson whiffed on a clearance. Ross Johnson gathered the loose puck and fed Leason, who scored five-hole.

“Big goal from our fourth line,” Vatrano said. “They’ve been great for us all year. It was nice for them to get rewarded. It's awesome.”

The Blue Jackets went 1-for-7 with 15 shots on the power play.

“I actually thought our power play was moving the puck well,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We just didn’t find that extra one and they got a lucky bounce to tie it up at the end. It’s something to build on, but it’s a tough way to lose.”

Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said it was easy to pinpoint how the Ducks ended a three-game losing streak.

“I thought our penalty killing really won the game for us. A lot of guys did a great job blocking shots,” he said. “They just kept persevering. I thought we were flat in the first period, standing around watching them skate, and we kind of woke up in the second and third periods. Just really happy with the energy and the effort our guys played with.”

The start was delayed two hours because of a power outage in and around Nationwide Arena.

NOTES: Vatrano is the fourth Ducks player to score his fifth goal of the season in six games or fewer. The others are Daniel Winnik (four games, 2012-13), Corey Perry (five games, in 2014-15), Paul Kariya (five games, 1995-96 and six games, 1997-98) and Teemu Selanne (six games, 1996-97). … Anaheim forward Leo Carlsson did not play for a second straight game as he manages the recovery from an injury that kept him out of the first two games of the season. He has one goal in two games. Carlsson, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was set to matchup against Fantilli, who was the No. 3 pick. “I was really looking forward to getting out there with him,” Fantilli said Tuesday morning. “He’s a really great guy. I got to know him. It would be cool to play against him.” … Ivan Provorov had an assist on the first Columbus goal, becoming the third defenseman in franchise history to have his first five points (five assists in six games) in six games or fewer, joining Werenski in 2016-17 (two goals, three assists in four games) and Darryl Sydor in 2003-04 (one goal, four assists in five games).