COLUMBUS, Ohio _ While there wasn't nearly the buzz as when the Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets met New Year's Eve riding 12- and 14-game winning streaks, respectively, Thursday night provided a rematch of two well-balanced, well-coached teams.
The Blue Jackets are big and can skate, and in the latest meeting, they made life difficult on the Wild during an eventual 1-0 win at Nationwide Arena.
At least the ear-popping cannon was only fired once.
With the game scoreless early in the third period, Brandon Saad scored on the Blue Jackets' 31st and 32nd shot _ the 32nd being the one Devan Dubnyk would have wanted back after saving the Wild's hide all game long.
Dubnyk couldn't smother a knuckling puck of a shot by Saad that deflected off Ryan Suter's stick. The puck fell into the blue, and before Dubnyk could smother it with his glove, Saad nudged the puck just inside the post and barely over the goal line for the winner.
The Wild pushed hard from there, but the Blue Jackets defended well and Sergei Bobrovsky completed a 38-save shutout, the Wild's first on the road since Nov. 5. It was only the Wild's second regulation road loss in the past 18.
Dubnyk made 39 saves.
The Wild fell to 2-1 since the bye and 2-1 since Zach Parise and Jason Pominville came down with the mumps. The Wild will take Friday off and will determine if either forward will be able to practice Saturday.
They were especially missed on the Wild's 0-for-4 power play.
Since the Jackets ended the Wild's 12-game winning streak Dec. 31, the Wild are 18-6-2 and the Jackets are 14-11-2.
The Wild had a goal disallowed 7:23 into the second period when Erik Haula crashed the net on a Marco Scandella rebound.
Haula kicked the puck with his right skate, a puck that was heading toward the corner. But in the crease, the puck ricocheted off Blue Jackets center William Karlsson's skate and into the net.
The goal, initially ruled good by the refs on the ice, was overturned by the NHL Situation Room because it was ruled Haula used a distinct kicking motion.
According to Rule 49.2, "a goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks a puck that deflects into the net off any player, goalkeeper or official."
