Nov 23, 2007 4:23 pm US/Central
Blue Jackets Beat Wild, 4-0
ST. PAUL (AP) ―
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Wild coach Jacques Lemaire held a long practice session on Thanksgiving that he hoped would snap his team out of its recent funk. It didn't, especially right away.
Minnesota Wild
Pascal Leclaire stopped 32 shots for his club record sixth shutout this season, Michael Peca had a goal and an assist in his return from a groin injury, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Minnesota Wild 4-0 Friday.
The win snapped Columbus' five-game road winless streak and gave the team its second win in seven games. David Vyborny, Dan Fritsche and Rick Nash also scored for Columbus, which took advantage of several turnovers by the Wild.
Minnesota has dropped 10 of its last 14 and continues to struggle after starting the season 7-0-1.
Fritsche's goal in the second period gave Columbus a 3-0 lead and left Wild fans groaning in disbelief. With nobody pressuring him, Minnesota defenseman Brent Burns mishandled the puck in front of his own net, allowing Fritsche to swoop in and score a gift goal.
Peca stole the puck from Wild center Dominic Moore behind the net to set up Nash's team-leading 16th goal that made it 4-0 early in the third.
Wild coach Jacques Lemaire held a long practice session on Thanksgiving that he hoped would snap his team out of its recent funk. It didn't, especially right away.
Columbus controlled the first 10 minutes of play, outshooting the Wild 10-2. The Blue Jackets scored first on a power-play goal from Peca, who had missed the previous six games.
Vyborny scored his second goal of the season on the power play seven minutes into the second period.
The offense was more than enough for Leclaire, who entered Friday with a 2.0 goals-against average. His sixth shutout leads the league and broke the club record previously held by Marc Denis in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
The Wild's Pierre-Marc Bouchard thought he had a goal halfway through the third, but it was waved off when the referee blew his whistle thinking that Leclaire had the puck covered.
Before Friday's game, Minnesota had dominated Columbus at home, winning 10 of the past 13.
The game turned chippy late in the third after the Wild's Aaron Voros exited the penalty box and collided with Jiri Novotny. Columbus' Adam Foote took a 10-minute misconduct in the ensuing tangle.
Notes: Minnesota stayed busy on Thanksgiving by making seven transactions. It claimed winger Todd Fedoruk off re-entry waivers from Dallas and placed Center Mikko Koivu (leg) and defenseman Petteri Nummelin (nose and head) on injured reserve. Goalie Nolan Schaefer was called up from AHL Houston because backup goalie Josh Harding suffered a head injury in the third period of Wednesday's loss to Vancouver. Winger Aaron Voros was reassigned to Houston, but recalled a few hours later once Nummelin went on IR.
Vyborny is one point shy of 300 for his career.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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