Bobrovsky stops 35 shots as Blue Jackets beat Coyotes 1-0 (Dec 09, 2017)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Sergei Bobrovsky made sure that Josh Anderson's early goal would be enough for the Blue Jackets.
Anderson found the back of the net 30 seconds into the game, and Bobrovsky did the rest, recording his 23rd career shutout as Columbus beat the Arizona Coyotes 1-0 on Saturday night.
The reigning Vezina Trophy winner had 35 saves and got his fourth shutout this season as Columbus won its second game in as many days.
The Blue Jackets have won 10 out of their last 13 as the top line of Anderson, Artemi Panarin and Pierre-Luc Dubois continued to generate much of the offense as other usually reliable players have struggled. Panarin - who had five assists in the 5-3 win at New Jersey on Friday night - and Dubois each earned helpers on Anderson's goal.
''He feels more confident as each game goes by here,'' coach John Tortorella said of Anderson, who missed training camp because of a contract dispute. ''He's killing penalties now, he's on the power play, and he deserves it. He's a big part of our team. I don't think the line was dead on tonight, but they still had a lot of offensive zone pressure.''
Antti Raanta started in goal for the Coyotes after missing seven games with an injury and was sharp in stopping 33 shots.
But Bobrovsky was better, and the Blue Jackets (19-10-1) created more quality looks overall.
''We played hard,'' Arizona coach Rick Tocchet said. ''We had some chances. We had a couple 2-on-1s, a couple breakaways, hit a crossbar, so we had our chances to win the game.''
Anderson got his team-leading 11th goal when he picked up a hard Panarin ricochet pass off the back wall, skated around the net and snapped a shot over Raanta's glove.
''Their guy went around the net and went post to post,'' Raanta said. ''I went down and thought I had all the angles covered, but he shot past me on the far side. I need to make that save. It's pretty simple.''
Arizona (7-20-5) lost its third in a row and sixth of seven.
The Coyotes outshot Columbus 11-10 in the first period and came away empty on several odd-man rushes.
One of their best chances to tie it came with about six minutes left in the second when Brendan Perlini sidestepped the Blue Jackets' Lukas Sedlak and charged on a breakaway, only to have Bobrovsky knock down his shot. That was typical of the Coyotes' evening.
They couldn't capitalize despite skating on a power play for the last 2:53 of the game. They played 6-on-4 after pulling Raanta for the last 1:12, but Bobrovsky held them off with the help of two key blocked shots.
''It was a gutsy win,'' Columbus forward Boone Jenner said. ''A good job by the (penalty) killers at the end.''
NOTES: The Blue Jackets' league-worst power play didn't get any better. They were 0 for 2 with the man advantage. ... Arizona D Jason Demers left the game early in the third period after he took a puck in the face. ... Columbus F Cam Atkinson, who signed a seven-year, $41 million contract extension last month, was a healthy scratch. He has two goal and two assists in 14 games since returning from an injury Nov. 7. He's been held without a point in the last six games. ... F Sonny Milano was recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League and started on the third line but was sent back after the game. ... Blue Jackets D Ryan Murray missed his sixth game with an upper-body injury. Scott Harrington again skated in his place.
NEXT UP
Arizona: Plays at Chicago on Sunday.
Columbus: Hosts Edmonton on Tuesday night.
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