Gaudreau, Jenner each has 3 points, Blue Jackets recover to defeat Ducks

ANAHEIM -- Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner each had a goal and two assists for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who blew a four-goal lead but recovered for a 7-4 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Wednesday.

Sean Kuraly and Zach Werenski each scored twice, and Alexandre Texier and Jack Roslovic each had two assists for the Blue Jackets (18-27-10), who scored three consecutive goals to break a tie in the third period. Daniil Tarasov made 27 saves, and Elvis Merzlikins allowed two goals on as many shots in 3:55 of ice time while Tarasov received treatment after taking a stick to the face.

"We had an honest chat after the second period and the guys played the right way in the third," Columbus coach Pascal Vincent said.

Mason McTavish scored two goals, Troy Terry had a goal and two assists, and Pavel Mintyukov had three assists for the Ducks (20-34-2), who have lost two of three. John Gibson made 20 saves.

"I was proud of how we battled, but we've just got to try and be more even-keeled," Terry said.

Yegor Chinakhov gave Columbus a 5-4 lead at 6:50 of the third when he put in a cross-ice pass from Gaudreau.

Kuraly made it 6-4 at 7:39, scoring with a snap shot after a blocked shot came to him in the left circle.

Jenner scored an empty-net, short-handed goal with 33 seconds left for the 7-4 final.

"I thought we played a good first period, second period not so much, and third period back to the way we know we can play," Kuraly said. "I guess it's a lot easier to learn when you end up winning, so hopefully we can take that into account that we can still learn a lesson and win a game."

Columbus scored three goals on its first five shots of the game.

Gaudreau gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 3:32 of the first period when his wrist shot hit Gibson's mask and went in off Werenski’s right knee.

"The first period had a weird feeling to it," Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. "I thought we controlled the puck most of it, and then we turn it over and give them an odd-man rush."

Gaudreau ended a 17-game goal drought when he scored off a 2-on-1 to make it 2-0 at 9:32.

Werenski pushed it to 3-0 at 18:30, banking the puck off Gibson's skate from below the goal line.

"They took advantage of their chances," Cronin said. "I don't care who you are, what team you are, when you give up three goals on five or six chances in a period, it kind of stuns you a bit."

Columbus stretched the lead to 4-0 at 2:49 of the second when Gibson turned the puck over behind his net and Kuraly put in a backhanded pass from Texier in front.

"We scored those four goals and there's a way to play those games," Vincent said. "We would think that we've learned, but we wanted five, six, seven (goals), which I like, but there's a way to do it, and it's not to be on the wrong side of the puck all the time and hoping that the puck will come to you."

Terry cut it to 4-1 at 9:07 when he skated from his own defensive zone through the slot and beat Tarasov with a wrist shot from the right circle.

McTavish put in a touch pass from Terry in front to cut it to 4-2 at 16:05 with Tarasov down on the ice after taking a stick to the face from teammate Adam Boqvist.

"I was going to the bench and trying to check if everything's fine," Tarasov said. "Doc said nothing with the eyes, so just happy to be back in helping the guys in the third."

McTavish made it 4-3 at 18:49 when he slid a backhand between Merzlikins’ pads during 4-on-4 play.

Alex Killorn tied it 4-4 at 19:36, putting in a touch pass from Leo Carlsson at the right post.

NOTES: Gaudreau scored his first NHL goal at Honda Center in his 16th game there. ... Jenner extended his point streak to five games (eight points; five goals, three assists). ... Columbus ended a five-game losing streak against Anaheim. ... Ducks forward Frank Vatrano had an assist to give him seven points (four goals, three assists) in the past four games. … Werenski had his fifth multigoal game in the NHL, passing Seth Jones for most by a defenseman in Blue Jackets history.