GAME THREAD: NHL: COLUMBUS (9-12) at MINNESOTA (11-10)

NHL: COLUMBUS (9-12) at MINNESOTA (11-10)

<h3>Blue Jackets look to end three-game slide</h3>

<div class="pre">Columbus (9-8-4) at Minnesota (11-8-2) 2:00 pm EST</div>

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) - The slumping Columbus BlueJackets are hoping to end a three-game losing streak on Fridaywhen the Minnesota Wild come calling.


Netminder Pascal Leclaire continued his struggles between thepipes, as the Blue Jackets dropped a 5-2 decision Wednesday athome to the Florida Panthers.


After starting the campaign with an impressive 7-2-0 mark, the25-year-old Leclaire has gone just 1-3-1 since with a 3.57goal-against average. Nonetheless, he leads all goalies in theAll-Star Game balloting with 37,574 votes in the WesternConference.


While Columbus tries to get things right, Minnesota aims for itsfourth win in five games at the Xcel Energy Center.

Goaltender Josh Harding surrendered two critical third-periodtallies as the Wild saw their three-game home winning streakcome to an in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to Vancouver.


The loss marked the return of Minnesota's Sean Hill, who madehis season debut after serving a 20-game suspension for testingpositive for steroids while playing with the New York Islanderslast season.


Known as a hard-nosed defender, the 37-year-old Hill finishedthird in the league with 252 hits and sixth with 202 blockedshots.

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL AT MINNESOTA
STARTING GOALIES: COB - PASCAL LECLAIRE
MIN - NIKLAS BACKSTROM

OFFICIALS: REF - CHRIS LEE, TOM KOWAL
LIN - BRIAN MACH, LYLE SEITZ</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">COLUMBUS VS MINNESOTA - SCRATCHES

COLUMBUS MINNESOTA

K BEECH HEALTHY K CARNEY HEALTHY
G BRULE HEALTHY B RADIVOJEVIC HEALTHY
K RUSSELL HEALTHY J HARDING HEAD INJURY</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 0
MINNESOTA 0 19:58 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 0
MINNESOTA 0 18:21 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 1
MINNESOTA 0
1ST PRD: COB - (PP) MICHAEL PECA 2 (NIKOLAI ZHERDEV, RICK NASH) 3:27</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 1
MINNESOTA 0 11:01 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 1
MINNESOTA 0 7:26 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 1
MINNESOTA 0 5:48 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
COLUMBUS 1 1
MINNESOTA 0 0 END OF THE 1ST

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: COB - (PP) MICHAEL PECA 2 (NIKOLAI ZHERDEV, RICK NASH) 3:27

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
COB 12 12
MIN 10 10

GOALIES: COB - PASCAL LECLAIRE
MIN - NIKLAS BACKSTROM</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">------------------------
Columbus 1 --1
Minnesota 0 --0
------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Columbus, Michael Peca 2 (power play)
(Nikolai Zherdev, Rick Nash), 3:27. Penalties: A Voros, Min
(holding), 1:39; J Shelley, Cob (tripping), 8:16; B Rolston, Min
(diving), 8:16; S Fedorov, Cob (holding), 14:12; Bench, Cob (), 17:14;
N Zherdev, Cob (hooking), 19:34.

Shots on goal:
-----------------------------
Columbus 12 --12
Minnesota 10 --10
-----------------------------

Goalies : Columbus, Pascal Leclaire (10 shots, 10 saves). Minnesota,
Niklas Backstrom (12 shots, 11 saves). Referees: Chris Lee, Tom
Kowal. Linesmen: Brian Mach, Lyle Seitz.</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 1
MINNESOTA 0 19:58 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 1
MINNESOTA 0 14:11 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 2
MINNESOTA 0
2ND PRD: COB - (PP) DAVID VYBORNY 2 (DUVIE WESTCOTT, RON HAINSEY) 7:06</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 2
MINNESOTA 0 11:56 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 2
MINNESOTA 0 7:56 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 3
MINNESOTA 0
2ND PRD: COB - (SH) DAN FRITSCHE 3 (UNASSISTED) 12:32</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
COLUMBUS 1 2 3
MINNESOTA 0 0 0 END OF THE 2ND

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: COB - (PP) MICHAEL PECA 2 (NIKOLAI ZHERDEV, RICK NASH) 3:27
2ND PRD: COB - (PP) DAVID VYBORNY 2 (DUVIE WESTCOTT, RON HAINSEY)
7:06
COB - (SH) DAN FRITSCHE 3 (UNASSISTED) 12:32

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
COB 12 14 26
MIN 10 10 20

GOALIES: COB - PASCAL LECLAIRE
MIN - NIKLAS BACKSTROM</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">------------------------------
Columbus 1 2 --3
Minnesota 0 0 --0
------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Columbus, Michael Peca 2 (power play)
(Nikolai Zherdev, Rick Nash), 3:27. Penalties: A Voros, Min
(holding), 1:39; J Shelley, Cob (tripping), 8:16; B Rolston, Min
(diving), 8:16; S Fedorov, Cob (holding), 14:12; Bench, Cob (), 17:14;
N Zherdev, Cob (hooking), 19:34.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Columbus, David Vyborny 2 (power play)
(Duvie Westcott, Ron Hainsey), 7:06. 3, Columbus, Dan Fritsche 3
(shorthanded) (Unassisted), 12:32. Penalties: J Shelley, Cob (major
fighting), 4:37; D Boogaard, Min (major fighting), 4:37; A Voros, Min
(holding stick), 6:24; T Fedoruk, Min (double minor tripping,
roughing), 8:04; M Peca, Cob (tripping), 11:34.

Shots on goal:
----------------------------------
Columbus 12 14 --26
Minnesota 10 10 --20
----------------------------------

Goalies : Columbus, Pascal Leclaire (20 shots, 20 saves). Minnesota,
Niklas Backstrom (26 shots, 23 saves). Referees: Chris Lee, Tom
Kowal. Linesmen: Brian Mach, Lyle Seitz.</div>

 

NHL: COLUMBUS at MINNESOTA

<div class="pre">NHL COLUMBUS 3
MINNESOTA 0 19:55 LEFT, 3RD PRD</div>