Garon makes 26 saves, Torres and Vermette score in Blue Jackets’ 2-0 win over Stars

Garon shuts out Stars, 2-0

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mathieu Garon made 26 saves for his second shutout of the season, and Raffi Torres and Antoine Vermette scored in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday night.

The Blue Jackets have won three in a row after losing 21 of their previous 24.

The shutout was the 16th of Garon’s career and his 101st victory.

The Blue Jackets got the only goal they needed at 8:20 of the opening period.

On a three-man rush, Derick Brassard slid a cross-ice pass from the left wing that deflected off the skates of defenseman Maxime Fortunus. The puck slid all the way to the right dot, where Torres went to one knee to one-time it past Marty Turco for his 13th of the season. Vermette extended his points streak to four games with a late empty-netter.

Vermette extended his points streak to four games with a late empty-netter.

The Blue Jackets improved to 18-2-2 when Torres has a goal.

Columbus has won three straight for the first time since Nov. 13-19.

It was a rare Columbus win in the series. The Stars came in with a 25-5-4 mark against the Blue Jackets. They were 12-2-2 in Columbus and had picked up points in their last 11 games at Nationwide Arena.

It was Dallas’ first loss in Columbus since Nov. 1, 2002.

Garon received a standing ovation late in the second period after he stopped five shots in a 30-second flurry by the Stars. Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock called timeout to allow him to catch his breath.

The Blue Jackets came close to a 2-0 lead almost 5 minutes into the third period. Turco, who had 39 saves, got a piece of Andrew Murray’s sweeping shot between the hash marks, the puck hitting at the base of the post and then wobbling along the goal line before Turco swiveled and cleared it with his stick.

The Stars also had some prime scoring chances. Garon twice made toe saves on slap shots by Stephane Robidas from the right point.

Captain Mike Modano took a long stretch pass and coasted in one-on-one with 2½ minutes left in the game. Garon went down in the butterfly to stop the shot, but the puck rebounded off a leg pad and trickled in front of him, just out of reach of his catcher. Steve Ott, crashing the net, got his stick on the loose puck at the same instant as defenseman Anton Stralman, the puck flying over the top of the goal cage.

NOTES: Columbus LW Fredrick Modin (bruised foot) was scratched. … Dallas was shut out for the third time this season and the second time in four games. … Blue Jackets D Jan Hejda, who had goals in the last games, assisted on Torres’ first-period goal for the first three-game points streak of his 241-game career.