Bouchard’s goal lifts Wild over Blue Jackets

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period and the Minnesota Wild snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Tuesday night.

With the Wild seemingly on their heels after giving up a two-goal lead, Bouchard took a pass from Torrey Mitchell near the blue line, zoomed past two Columbus defenders and beat goalie Steve Mason above his right glove.

Mikko Koivu and Tom Gilbert also scored for Minnesota.

Mark Letestu and Jack Johnson had goals for the Blue Jackets.

After Columbus beat Dallas to snap a four-game skid, the Blue Jackets’ flight to the Twin Cities on Monday night was canceled because of fog, forcing the team to leave on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Columbus looked sluggish early and trailed 2-0 after the first period.

Koivu took a rebound, skated to the side of the net and banked the puck off Mason to open the scoring midway through the first.

Gilbert flicked the puck into an open net after corralling a deflection off a Columbus player’s shin pad late in the first to make it 2-0.

Zach Parise appeared to make it 3-1 late in the second, but the goal was disallowed after replays showed the puck going in off Parise’s extended forearm.

The Blue Jackets have struggled to score after trading Rick Nash to the New York Rangers in the offseason. Columbus has allowed the first goal in five of its first seven games and has just 13 goals on the season.

Tags: sports, nhl, hockey