Blue Jackets' Garon records second straight shutout

Mathieu Garon stopped 25 shots for his second straight shutout and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Atlanta Thrashers 3-0 Thursday night.

Derick Brassard scored for the fifth time in six games, on a snap shot 4:46 into the second period.

Brassard, who had nine goals in 79 games last season, also had an assist when Marc Methot scored midway through the third period for a 2-0 lead. R.J. Umberger added an empty-netter.

Attendance was a record-low 8,461. The smallest crowd the team drew before was earlier this year, 8,820 against Buffalo on Oct. 20.

The Thrashers began the night second in the league with 40 goals before being shut out for the first time this season.

Garon, coming off a 3-0 shutout of Montreal on Tuesday, started in consecutive games for the first time this season. He entered the game second in the league with his 1.15 goals-against average and has earned a greater share of starter Steve Mason's time in the net.

The Blue Jackets, who failed to reach the playoffs last season after the first appearance in franchise history, won for the fifth time in their last six games.

Ondrej Pavelec stopped 39 shots in his second start since fainting and sustaining a concussion early in the Thrashers' 4-2 season-opening win over Washington on Oct. 8.