Welcome to the NHL moment when Jagr came down

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Columbus Blue Jackets managed to greatly improve their standing in the Eastern Conference with a terrific December, but Todd Richards club still has a long way to go to prove itself playoff worthy in 2014-15. The Blue Jackets will shoot for their 11th win in 13 games when they visit the Arizona Coyotes for Saturdays battle at Gila River Arena. Columbus entered December with a 6-15-2 record on the season, but a 10-1-1 record in the final month of the 2014 calendar year has the club in much better shape in the East. Still, the Blue Jackets, who made the postseason for just the second time in club history last spring, are nine points out of a playoff spot. The Blue Jackets capped their stellar month on a five-game homestand, posting a 3-1-1 mark during the stay at Nationwide Arena. Columbus won the final two tests on the homestand, beating Boston and Minnesota by a combined score of 9-3. After slamming the Bruins, 6-2, last Saturday, the Blue Jackets recorded Wednesdays 3-1 decision over the Wild. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 saves to earn the win over Minnesota, improving his record in December to 9-1-1. Bobrovsky also posted a 2.14 goals against average and .937 save percentage last month and was named the NHLs Third Star for December. The Blue Jackets got goals from Kevin Connauton, David Savard and Ryan Johansen in the New Years Eve victory over the Wild. Connauton also added an assist, and Brandon Dubinsky was credited with two helpers. Johansens empty-netter was his first goal since Nov. 29. He is still second on the team this season with 10 markers. It was a good pass over, and I just had to hit the net, said Johansen. That was good. Columbus hopes to stay hot on the road, where it will play its next four games. The Blue Jackets have won four in a row as the guest and are 7-7-1 away from the Buckeye State. Arizona is hoping to bounce back tonight after having a season high-tying three-game winning streak come to an abrupt end with Wednesdays 6-0 blowout loss in Dallas. The Stars received goals from six different players, while Devan Dubnyk surrendered all six goals on 31 shots. In the end, we didnt compete hard enough in coverage and gave up too many chances, Arizona head coach Dave Tippett said. Weve got to regroup. The 6-0 rout capped sweep of the three-game season series for Dallas. It had not swept the Coyotes franchise since 1991-92 when the Stars played in Minnesota and the Coyotes played in Winnipeg Arizona is hoping to extend another winning streak tonight, as it aims for a fourth consecutive victory on home ice. The Coyotes are 7-8-3 at Gila River Arena this season. The Blue Jackets have won three straight and six of the last nine meetings in this series overall, but the Coyotes have claimed eight of the past 11 encounters in the desert. Joe Klecko Jersey . The victory strengthened Liverpools position in the top four after Tottenham lost 1-0 at Norwich in the days late kickoff, cutting the north London club six points adrift of fourth place and the final Champions League slot for next season. Robby Anderson Jersey . -- Without Carey Price, the run for a first Stanley Cup in 21 years got steeper and longer for the Montreal Canadiens. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Wayne-Chrebet-Jersey/ . - The Toronto Blue Jays have optioned pitchers Kyle Drabek, Chad Jenkins and Sean Nolin to triple-A Buffalo. Jamal Adams Youth Jersey . The Brazilian driver had the second-best time in last months tests at Jerez and said the "good start" could play to his advantage when the season gets underway in Australia in March. Joe Namath Jersey . Johansen scored twice and Derek MacKenzie, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson also had goals to lead the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, ending a three-game losing skid.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Ville Leino was happy to bask in some rare cheers after netting the winning goal in the shootout. "Today was awesome," Leino said after scoring in the ninth round of the shootout to give the Buffalo Sabres a 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. "Obviously we havent been winning that much, so its tough times but those kind of moments, you get a little extra energy." Leino had not scored a goal in regulation all season and has been the subject of catcalls in Buffalo, but drew a roar of approval with his shootout tally. When asked why he tabbed Leino to shoot, Buffalo coach Ted Nolan cited necessity as the reason he used the slumping forward. "He played a real good game for us tonight, and we were running out of forwards," Nolan said. "Hes had a tough, tough go, but hes a real good player and I was glad to see him get one." Tyler Ennis scored twice in the third period and again in the shootout, while Nathan Lieuwen made 33 saves for his first NHL win. Dainius Zubrus gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead at 8:16 of the second period and Tuomo Ruutu tipped Andy Greenes shot past Lieuwen at 6:58 of the third to tie it 2-2. The Devils, 0-11 this season in shootouts, are three points out of the Eastern Conferences final wild card spot. "We had a bunch of chances to score and we have guys who are good in the shootout," Zubrus said. "Tough to say its luck because its been 11 games in a row, but maybe a bit of bad luck has to be there." Cory Schneider made 25 saves for New Jersey. The Devils outshot Buffalo 10-8 in the opening period, but dominated possession and had the best chances. New Jersey broke the deadlock in the second, when Michael Ryders cross-crease pass appeared to be knocked into the Sabres goal by Jamie McBain. The goal was awarded to Zubrus. Lieuwen returned to form after the goal, making a diving stick save on Ryder to keep the score 1-0. Moments later, he stopped Ruutu on a partial breakaway. "The one word that Teddy keeps using is compete," Lieuwen said. "I just went out there and competed.dddddddddddd Good things happened." The Sabres managed just four shots in the second period. Buffalo got the equalizer 1:39 into the third period on a play started by Drew Stafford and completed by a cross-slot pass from Leino to Ennis, who scored on a wrist shot to become the first Sabres player to score 20 goals this season. "Hes a dynamic player," Nolan said. "He scoots in and out, and for him to get that 20, its a magical number he was waiting on for a while." Buffalo took its first lead of the night on a power play just over three minutes later. Cody Hodgson slid a pass through several players to Ennis, who shot high into the net at 4:41. "He made a pretty ridiculous pass through two or three guys right on my tape," Ennis said. "I just had to throw it on the net." New Jersey tied the score on the power play, when Ruutu deflected Greenes shot past Lieuwen. Lieuwen made back-to-back stops on Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias with just over a minute left in overtime. He then had a chance to win the game after Stafford scored in the fourth round of the shootout. "I had a Welcome to the NHL moment when Jagr came down on me with a chance to win the game and I think I was a little too excited about what was happening," Lieuwen said. But after Leino scored, Lieuwen rebounded to pick up that first win with a stop on Mike Sislo that he doesnt quite remember. "I blacked out," Lieuwen said. "The guy came in and as soon as I made that save, I was just all smiles. I was excited and Im very grateful." Buffalo snapped a four-game skid with the win, while the Devils now have points in five consecutive games. NOTES: Stafford was selected as the Sabres Masterton Trophy nominee by the Buffalo Chapter of the Pro Hockey Writers Association earlier Tuesday. ... New Jersey LW Ryan Clowe missed the game with a head injury sustained Monday against Florida. ... Buffalo signed 2012 third-round pick Justin Kea to a three-year, entry level contract before the game. ' ' '