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Gaborik's two goals lead Wild past Blue Jackets

Feb 3, 2008 - 4:53 AM COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- Marian Gaborik and the Minnesota Wild finally are having some success at Nationwide Arena.

Gaborik scored twice and fellow Slovakian Pavol Demitra added two assists as the Wild posted a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Brian Rolston and defenseman Kurtis Foster also tallied and Niklas Backstrom stopped 33 shots for Minnesota, which has won three straight overall and five of its last six road games.

"We are playing better," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. "We are doing better. We just have to keep going."

The Wild also have won two straight here this season after an eight-game losing streak on the Blue Jackets' home ice.

"I think we have played well here," Lemaire said. "We just haven't been able to get over the hump.

"Tonight, I was really pleased how we started. We were good with the puck and made great plays. We didn't have a lot of shots, but they were great goals. It is how you execute, and we did it perfectly tonight."

Gaborik also shook off his doldrums here, having managed only a goal and two assists in his previous nine career visits.

"We knew what kind of game it was going to be," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We gave their best player two chances, and he put them both in. We have been the team to make the big mistakes when the game is on the line."

Rookie Derick Brassard scored his first career goal and Fredrik Norrena made 16 saves for Columbus, which has dropped three straight for the first time this season as well as five of its last seven.

"We have given up 12 goals in the last three games," Hitchcock said. "That's too much. The difference is, we haven't had good-enough play from our best players. That's the difference between winning and losing."

"We have to get better quick," Norrena added. "We have to forget about the past week, that's the bottom line."

After Brassard knotted the contest at 1-1 just 3:40 into the second period, Minnesota used a three-goal burst in less than six minutes to take control.

Less than two minutes after Brassard's tally, Rolston took a pass by Pierre-Marc Bouchard from behind the net and directed the puck between the pads of Norrena at 5:52. The goal, which gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead, was Rolston's fifth in as many games.

"I think we are playing well as a team," Rolston said. "And that makes it easier for me because we are creating a lot of scoring opportunities, not only for me, but for the other guys as well."

Gaborik took over from there.

The All-Star doubled Minnesota's advantage when he redirected the puck past Norrena from the slot with 9:35 left in the second.

"Todd (Fedoruk) made a nice play on the loose puck and he passed it me, and I was able to score," Gaborik said.

After some fancy skating in the offensive zone, Gaborik wristed the puck past Norrena from the slot 79 seconds later to give the Wild three tallies in a 5:52 span and a 4-1 cushion.

"I think we just play well as a team," Gaborik said. "I was in the right place tonight, but we made some good passes and plays that made it easy for me to score."

For Gaborik, it was his sixth multi-goal game of the season, which includes a five-tally performance on December 20 against the New York Rangers.

"Marian is good player," Norrena said. "I think we made it easy on him tonight by not playing our best and giving him too much room."

Backstrom turned aside nine shots in the first period, 13 in the second and 11 in the third en route to his fourth consecutive win.

"I felt good tonight," Backstrom said. "I was able to see the puck and the guys played really well in front of me, so it was a good game for the team."