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Vyborny, Modin lead Blue Jackets past Flames

Feb 9, 2007 - 5:41 AM COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- It was only a matter of time before David Vyborny and Fredrik Modin struck quickly for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Vyborny and Modin scored goals 47 seconds apart and Fredrik Norrena made 24 saves as the Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.

Coming off Tuesday's shutout loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, their 12th of the season, the Blue Jackets raised their home mark under coach Ken Hitchcock to 11-4-1 and gained a split of the four-game season series with the Flames.

"The third period was a perfect example of the way we have played in this building when we have needed to win hockey games," Hitchcock said. "Whether it was Minnesota, Buffalo, Ottawa, or whomever, we have shown the ability to go back and just work. That's how we gain victories."

"We didn't play well last game," Vyborny said. "Tonight, we got excited. We worked hard the first two periods, but we didn't score. They got a lucky goal, but finally, we get two points."

Trailing 1-0, Columbus began its comeback when Vyborny picked up a loose puck behind the net and lifted it over goaltender Jamie McLennan's left shoulder for his 12th tally at 9:55 of the third period.

"(Rick Nash) did a great job behind the net," Vyborny said. "There were three guys on his back. I just got the puck and tried to shoot at the near post."

Less than a minute later, Modin netted his 13th goal by batting the puck out of mid-air from the doorstep just inside the right goalpost to put the Blue Jackets in front.

"I am going to the far post," Modin said. "The puck hit something and goes up in the air. I managed to just knock it out of the air and it goes in. It's nice."

"I saw him coming down," Columbus' Sergei Fedorov said. "I chose to put it across a little softer than usual. He banged it out of the air. That was nice to see. I didn't really have a play there. I couldn't go back to the blue line, so I tried to keep the puck down low."

Calgary was denied its 30th win of the campaign and slipped to 3-8-1 here. The Flames have just seven victories in 26 road contests this season.

"On the first (goal), we had everybody in position and turned the puck over and left a man open in front," Calgary coach Jim Playfair said. "The second one, we had three chances to get the puck out of our zone and weren't quick enough in our coverage."

The Flames opened the scoring with just 22 seconds remaining in the second period. While on a power play, Kristian Huselius missed a wraparound shot before Matthew Lombardi knocked the rebound over Norrena's left pad.

"We got that big goal at the end of the second period and we needed to finish things off in the third, and we didn't," Lombardi said. "They got a couple of quick goals and we just didn't recover."

Huselius picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 14 games, snapping a tie with Washington's Alex Ovechkin for the league's longest stretch this season. He has nine goals and 11 assists during his run.

"It's nice, but we have been playing well as a team and I have been fortunate to end up with some great opportunities," Huselius said. "I wish we could have played a little better and finished things off tonight."

Norrena, who recorded his first win in five games, raised his record to 14-13-2 for Columbus.

"The players have to understand that the harder you check, the more you score," Hitchcock said. "That's how we have had all the success in this building in recent times. Because we check, we score. We create chances and we are willing to work to get the puck."

Making only his fifth appearance of the season and first since January 4, McLennan stopped 29 shots for the Flames, who have dropped five of their last six road contests.