"The fight for 29th place in the NHL — or was this the fight for the No.?1 overall pick in June's draft? — went decisively to the Anaheim Ducks last night.

The Blue Jackets, who have been in 30th place for all but 10 days this season, solidified their position with an ugly 7-4 loss before 13,053 in the Honda Center.

Rick Nash had two goals, and Derick Brassard and Derek Dorsett each scored one. But the Blue Jackets unraveled defensively after playing two tight games the past three nights in San Jose and Los Angeles.

"We needed to play a lot smarter than we did," Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel said. "We knew they were going to try and jump on us right from the start. That's when you need to use your head. We needed to be a lot better.""