Sergei Bobrovsky, Blue Jackets shut out Stars

DALLAS-- Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 3-0 win against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Bobrovsky didn't have to make many difficult saves because the Blue Jackets constantly disrupted the Stars attack. Dallas was particularly ineffective on the power play and failed to convert on five opportunities.
It was Bobrovsky's 100th win since he was traded to the Blue Jackets before the 2012-13 season.
"Oh yeah? I didn't know that," said Bobrovsky, who had his first shutout since Nov. 20. "That feels great, definitely. I hope it's going to be a few more hundreds."
Columbus and Bobrovsky won back-to-back games after a 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.

Josh Anderson gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 16:04 into the second period after a fortunate bounce. A Dallas rush was disrupted when a pass ricocheted off the referee near the blue line. Columbus took possession and scored on the odd-man rush when Boone Jenner set up Anderson in front for an easy goal.
Anderson said the Blue Jackets carried over confidence from the win against the Blackhawks.
"For sure," Anderson said. "Everyone played their own game and worried about themselves. … I think it's just confidence building up, and we feel really good about our game right now."
Stars coach Lindy Ruff wasn't happy with the performance and said Dallas "was as flat as could be" in losing back-to-back games at home.
"I've never seen the team in two years move the puck this poorly," he said.
Scott Hartnell gave Columbus a 2-0 lead at 9:02 of the third period when he waited out goalie Kari Lehtonen and shot low on the stick side. William Karlsson and Zack Werenski had the assists on Hartnell's first goal of the season.
Matt Calvert scored an empty-net goal with 1:12 left to make it 3-0.
Lehtonen made 23 saves.
Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson had a penalty shot with 10:21 remaining after John Klingberg was called for throwing his stick in an attempt to stop a shorthanded breakaway. Atkinson lost the puck on the attempt and didn't get off a shot.

Goal of the game

Hartnell scored to give the Blue Jackets some breathing room and added confidence in the third period. After the goal, they were able to play a more relaxed defensive game, and the Stars looked deflated. "That was big, good for me," Bobrovsky said. "It lets you feel a bit more relaxed."

Save of the game

Lehtonen made a right-pad save against Karlsson on a shorthanded breakaway at 6:23 of the second period. Lehtonen was patient on the play and kept it 0-0. It was one of a couple key saves Lehtonen made to keep the Stars in the game before Hartnell's third-period goal.

Highlight of the game

It was a lucky break, but it was all the Blue Jackets needed to score a pretty goal at 16:04 of the second period. Dallas forward Brett Ritchie was waiting for a pass near the Columbus blue line when the puck hit the referee, and the Blue Jackets took possession. Seth Jones, Jenner and Anderson then dissected the Stars defense for Anderson's game-winning goal.

They said it

"It feels good. He made some big saves. They had a lot of chances close around the net. He got low, he found it very well, and he got us out of danger a few times. You know you need your goalie to make big saves in wins, and that's exactly what he did tonight." -- Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones on helping Sergei Bobrovsky get the shutout
"That's two games in a row where we were outskated, and we don't get outskated very often. When your legs aren't moving, the puck movement isn't good. So it's my job to get them going. There was no emotion inside that game."-- Stars coach Lindy Ruff on their two-game skid

Need to know

Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray did not play because of an upper-body injury sustained Friday against the Blackhawks. … Stars forwards Patrick Sharp (concussion) and Patrick Eaves (lower body) missed the game after each was injured against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. … Dallas forward Ales Hemsky made his season debut after missing four games with a groin injury.

What's next

Blue Jackets: At the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET; FS-W, FS-O, NHL.TV)
Stars: Home against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET; FS-SW, TSN3, NHL.TV)