Rate it!

0 votes

The Columbus Blue Jackets handed the Vancouver Canucks a franchise-record seventh consecutive home loss with the visitors edging a close contest 6-5 in a shootout.

The Canucks, who have not won at home since December 30, scored two goals in the third period to force overtime but netminder Roberto Luongo could not handle attempts from Jason Williams and Rick Nash in the shootout.

The Blue Jackets' Steve Mason, meanwhile, saved one shootout shot from Kyle Wellwood and watched the second from Mats Sundin go wide of the net.

Columbus, winner of eight of its past 11 games, benefited greatly from the return of Nash, who had missed four games with a sprained knee. He had a regulation goal and two assists in addition to his shootout goal

Williams also had a goal in regulation.

Vancouver, which has lost five consecutive games overall, had a 3-1 lead after goals by Taylor Pyatt in the first period and Sundin and Steve Bernier in the second.

But tallies by Williams and Nash in the last three minutes of the period leveled the score at 3-3.

Mike Commodore and Raffi Torres staked Columbus to a 5-3 advantage early in the third before Vancouver responded on goals by Henrik Sedin and Kevin Bieksa.

"We have all the players here to be a playoff team and be a good team that can go far in the playoffs" Vancouver's Sundin said.

"But we all have to help keep the puck out of our net. If we play good team defense, we have players who can score. But we have to play better defensively than we did tonight."

Mason wound up with 25 saves and Luongo with 23.

Reuters