Robert Lang’s shootout goal makes Jason LaBarbera a winner for Phoenix

Lang lifts Coyotes past Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Robert Lang stayed perfect in shootouts this season, scoring the winner to give the Phoenix Coyotes a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

Shooting third after each team scored a shootout goal, Lang improved to 2 for 2 in tiebreakers this season when his wrister beat Mathieu Garon.

Rick Nash, who scored for Columbus in regulation, had the Blue Jackets’ goal in the tiebreaker before Shane Doan, playing in his 1,000th career NHL game, tied it to set the stage for Lang’s winner.

Jason LaBarbera made 38 saves for the Coyotes, and Keith Yandle scored for Phoenix in regulation.

Lang has long been a nemesis of the Blue Jackets. He came in with 12 goals, 21 assists and a plus-11 rating in 35 career games against Columbus.

The Coyotes didn’t waste any time getting on the board. Just 1:48 in, Yandle took advantage of a Columbus misplay in the defensive zone to notch his fifth goal. Two Blue Jackets collided at the boards near the bench, the puck bouncing to Yandle who collected it near the top of the right circle. He skated unimpeded through the high slot and fired a hard shot that eluded goalie Garon.

Columbus’ Jakub Voracek had six shots in the opening period, matching Phoenix’s total.

The next 46 minutes were scoreless, with few scoring chances.

The Blue Jackets finally evened things at 8:19 of the third while on the power play. Fedor Tyutin almost whiffed on a one-timer from the point, but caught just enough of the puck to send it lazily drifting to Nash at the right dot. He drilled it past LaBarbera to tie the game.

LaBarbera made two outstanding plays in the next two minutes, first blocking a drive by Derick Brassard and then stymieing Antoine Vermette after Nash slid a pass into the crease for a possible jam shot. But LaBarbera flicked the puck away.

Just over a minute into the overtime, Nash crashed the net and then backhanded a setup to Kristian Huselius at the left doorstep. But LaBarbera stopped two Huselius attempts.

The loss was the second in a row for Garon in shootouts after he set an NHL record with 13 consecutive tiebreaker wins. He is now 18-6 all-time in shootouts. He finished with 26 saves.

NOTES: Doan became the second Coyote to reach 1,000 games and the 42nd in NHL history. He is the 24th player to do it with the team that drafted him. … Voracek’s seven shots were a career high. He hadn’t had more than four shots in a game all season. … Phoenix has won the last five games it has played in Nationwide Arena, outscoring the Blue Jackets 18-8. … The Blue Jackets have won just two of their last 15 games.

(This version CORRECTS Coyotes 2, Blue Jackets 1, SO. SUBS 4th graf to correct that Yandle scored Phoenix’s goal in regulation.)