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Avs keep Jackets winless

Oct 13, 2011 - 6:31 AM Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - Getting close has still left Columbus staring at its worst start in franchise history.

Matt Duchene scored the game-winner in the shootout as Colorado rallied late to edge the winless Blue Jackets, 3-2, at Nationwide Arena.

Rick Nash and Milan Hejduk exchanged shootout goals before Vinny Prospal, an offseason acquisition, was thwarted by Semyon Varlamov. Duchene followed by converting his attempt, and Varlamov denied another key offseason signing, Jeff Carter, to finish off the rally that began with Gabriel Landeskog's game-tying goal with 41 seconds left in regulation.

"I like the fact that we were resilient. ... It was a big two points for us," Colorado coach Joe Sacco said.

The Blue Jackets, following a season that saw them miss the postseason for the ninth time in 10 seasons, dropped to 0-3-1, yet have only been outscored 13-8 in those defeats.

"It's obviously not the way we want to start the year if we expect the fans to come out and cheer us on and pay their hard earned money to come out here," Columbus center Jeff Carter said. "We have to start putting wins on the board."

T.J. Galiardi scored the other goal for Colorado, which came out victorious in the second stop on a five-game road trip that will finish up with a Canadian swing through Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. Varlamov stopped 31 shots on the game, including 29-of-30 in the first two periods.

Nash scored his second goal of the season and Radek Martinek gave the Blue Jackets a third period lead they weren't able to hold. Nash also added an assist, while Steve Mason stopped 30 shots in the loss, including 15 in a shooting barrage during the third period.

Colorado owned a 16-1 shots-on-goal advantage in the last period, finally lighting the lamp when Landeskog redirected Jan Hejda's shot from the top of the left circle past Mason. Columbus went the final 18:44 of the third period, and 22:36 including overtime, without a shot on goal.

Columbus took a 2-1 lead just 1:16 into the final period when Prospal, circling along the boards behind the right side of the net, fired a pass to a streaking Martinek, who snapped a shot past a partially-shielded Varlamov.

Colorado struck first when Ryan Wilson's errant fire kicked off towards the right boards where Ryan O'Byrne corralled the disc and pushed it in the direction of a scrum in front of the net. Galiardi found it there and shoved the loose puck between Mason's legs with 6:54 left in the period.

Nash's tying tally came after a fine swipe in his team's offensive zone. He danced to the front of the net and went with a straight-on flick that was saved, but he controlled the rebound and stuffed a backhand into the net at the 2:30 mark to square the contest.

Game Notes

Colorado has won two straight...The Avalanche have won four of the last five and eight of the last nine meetings in this series...Nash has three assists in the early going...The Blue Jackets play at Dallas on Saturday...Columbus is 0- for-20 with the man advantage so far this season.