Leclaire notches another shutout

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Oct 20, 2007 | by Associated Press

Pascal Leclaire made 21 saves for his third shutout of the season and fourth overall, and Rick Nash had a goal and an assist to help the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 on Friday night in Buffalo, N.Y.

Nash scored in the second period, 62 seconds after he was denied by goalie Ryan Miller on the NHL's first penalty shot of the season.

Michael Peca also had a goal and assist, and Nikolai Zherdev scored an empty-net goal for the Blue Jackets in their first road victory in three tries.

Buffalo, last season's highest-scoring team, was shut out for the first time since April 2006 -- a span of 95 regular-season games -- and had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Sabres finished their four-game homestand 3-1.

Miller made 26 saves.

Leclaire was able to bounce back from a 5-1 loss at Colorado last Saturday. He has a 150:22 home shutout streak, dating back to last year.

Nash was awarded a penalty shot with nearly 8 minutes left in the second period. After accepting a pass at the middle of the Buffalo blueline, he got a step on Henrik Tallinder before the defenseman hooked and impeded Nash's short breakaway attempt.

Nash tried to beat Miller with a wrist shot on the stick side on the penalty shot, but the goalie stopped the drive with his blocker.

Undaunted, Nash scored his fourth of the year with 6:50 left in the second on the power play. From behind the goal line, the big forward skated with the puck to the inner edge of the right circle before depositing a wrist shot into the net on Miller's stick side.

Peca, who was the Sabres captain from 1997-2000, gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 6 1/2 minutes into the second frame. After Miller stopped Nash's shot, Peca chipped home the rebound on the backhand for his first point of the season.

BLACKHAWKS 5, AVALANCHE 3: At Chicago, Tuomo Ruutu tipped in Magnus Johansson's shot from the point with 1:25 left in the third period to snap a tie, and Chicago rebounded after giving up a three- goal lead to beat the Colorado. Robert Lang added an empty-net goal with 50 seconds left to complete the scoring. Chicago rookie Patrick Kane scored his first NHL goal and added two assists, including one on Ruutu's winner. The 18-year-old Kane was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft. Chicago's Patrick Sharp had a goal and assist, and Blackhawks rookie Jonathan Toews scored his second NHL goal. Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 37 shots.

PENGUINS 4, HURRICANES 3, SO: At Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby had the winning shootout goal, and Pittsburgh defeated Carolina. All three Penguins shooters, Erik Christensen, Petr Sykora and Crosby, scored in the shootout against goalie Cam Ward. Matt Cullen and Jeff Hamilton scored in the shootout for Carolina, but Ray Whitney's wrist shot was stopped by goalie Dany Sabourin.

KINGS 4, CANUCKS 2: At Vancouver, British Columbia, Mike Cammalleri scored his NHL-leading eighth goal as part of a three- goal outburst in the second period and Los Angeles beat Vancouver.