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Blue Jackets look for first win against Red Wings

Nov 24, 2007 - 2:49 PM Detroit (15-6-1) at Columbus (10-8-4) 7:00 pm EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) - The Columbus Blue Jackets have had more than their share of problems with the Detroit Red Wings since joining the league as an expansion team at the start of the 2000-01 season.

The Blue Jackets, 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, hope things will change against the Central Division leaders on Saturday.

Columbus is 8-24-7 all-time against Detroit, including an 0-2 mark this season.

The Blue Jackets are coming off a 4-0 victory over Minnesota on Friday as Pascal Leclaire stopped 32 shots for his franchise-record and league-leading sixth shutout of the season. Marc Denis had held the record in that category with five shutouts in both 2002-03 and 2003-04.

The win ended a three-game losing streak for Columbus, which had been 1-5-2 in its previous eight games. Leclaire, who started 7-2-0 with a 1.12 goals-against average and five shutouts, but had been 1-3-1 with a 3.57 GAA in five games entering Friday, wasn't even supposed to play. Backup Fredrik Norrena missed the game with an illness.

Michael Peca had a goal and an assist in his return from a groin injury.

The victory snapped Columbus' five-game road winless streak and gave the team its second win in seven games. David Vyborny, Dan Fritsche and Rick Nash also scored for the Blue Jackets. Nash has scored in five consecutive games.

Detroit, 7-4-1 on the road, is coming off a 3-2 loss at Nashville on Thursday. Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg had goals for the first-place Red Wings, who are 2-4-0 after a 13-2-1 start.