Coyotes top Blue Jackets in season opener Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - Olli Jokinen had a goal and an assist to lead
the Phoenix Coyotes to a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at
Jobing.com Arena.
Peter Mueller and Keith Yandle also lit the lamp for Phoenix, which opened its
season on a high note. Ilja Bryzgalov stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced.
Derick Brassard tallied his second goal of the season for the Blue Jackets,
who opened their season on Friday with a 5-4 overtime win against Dallas.
Pascal Leclaire let in the three goals on 30 shots in defeat.
Continental Hockey League executives have filed paperwork in an attempt to convince the International Ice Hockey Federation in the dispute over Nikita Filatov's rights, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The Blue Jackets signed their 2008 No. 1 draft pick to an entry level contract earlier this summer but the KHL claims the prospect must pay Moscow CSKA, his old team, about $1.5M to free himself of league obligations.
Our View:The IIHF could issue a ruling on the validity of Filatov's contract in the coming days, according to The Dispatch. Filatov remains in Russia as he waits for his work visa to come to the United States.
The AP reports that the Blue Jackets re-signed restricted free agent goalie Pascal Leclaire on Wednesday to a three-year contract through the 2010-11 season. The 25-year-old is coming off his best season, going 24-17-6 with a 2.25 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and nine shutouts in 54 games. Leclaire’s record was the best in franchise history and his shutout total nearly doubled the previous club mark of five set by Marc Denis in 2002-03. After the season, Leclaire helped Canada win a silver medal at the world championships, going 4-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and one shutout in four games.
Our View:Last year was hands down his best. He finally lived up to the expectations of him when he was selected No. 8 overall in 2001. He ranked second in the NHL in shutouts, seventh in goals-against average and 11th in save percentage. He was also playing for a contract. He remains a solid option just on the cusp of a top-10 keeper. He owns a 41-49-11 record with a 2.71 goals-against average and 10 shutouts in 113 career NHL games. He missed most of the 2006-07 season due to a knee injury.
