Blackhawks Blank Blue Jackets, 7-0

<br>Craig Anderson stopped his career-opening losing streak, making 30 saves for his first NHL victory as seven players score for the Chicago Blackhawks in a 7-0 home victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets

Friday, January 23rd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Craig Anderson stopped his career-opening losing streak, making 30 saves for his first NHL victory as seven players score for the Chicago Blackhawks in a 7-0 home victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

Anderson, a Chicago-area native, entered with an 0-11-2 record in his two-year NHL career, including an 0-8-0 mark in nine games this season.

``I've been waiting for this my whole career,'' Anderson said. ``It was great that it was a shutout. I don't have to worry about my first win now.

``We played solid defensively. That made my job a lot easier. I just had to worry about the first save. The defense came in and cleaned up the rebounds whenever there was one.''

In other NHL games, it was: Philadelphia 4, New York Rangers 2; Detroit 5, Los Angeles 4; Colorado 1, Atlanta 1; Ottawa 6, Pittsburgh 5; Buffalo 3, Boston 2; Phoenix 2, San Jose 1; Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 2; and Calgary 4, Nashville 0.

The Blackhawks snapped a five-game winless streak and set a season high for goals, with Travis Moen, Bryan Berard, Steve Sullivan, Mark Bell, Tyler Arnason, Igor Korolev and Ryan Vandenbussche all beating goalie Fred Brathwaite.

``Getting a win like that showed we can come out and play,'' Arnason said. ``It was a nearly flawless game.''

Columbus was shut out for the seventh time this season.

``We weren't ready from the start,'' Blue Jackets defenseman Luke Richardson said. ``We left Freddy out to hang by himself.''

The teams will meet again Saturday night in Columbus.

``It's the type of game that you remember the embarrassment, but forget the way you played,'' Richardson said.

Flyers 4, Rangers 2

At New York, Keith Primeau had two assists just hours after being selected to the All-Star game, and Philadelphia snapped out of a power-play slump.

Primeau, a surprise choice to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, set up Sami Kapanen's tying goal late in the first period and assisted on Simon Gagne's score that made it 3-2.

Mark Recchi and John LeClair added power-play goals for the Flyers, 3-for-35 with the man-advantage in their previous 10 games. Anson Carter and Brian Leetch scored for New York.

Red Wings 5, Kings 4

At Los Angeles, Brett Hull ended the longest scoring drought of his career with his first goal in 21 games, and Detroit defenseman Mathieu Schneider had two goals against his former team.

Hull, the third-leading goal scorer in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe, got his 17th of the season and 733rd of his career on a power play in the second period.

Jamie Rivers snapped a 33-game goal drought and Curtis Joseph made 25 saves, helping Detroit end a three-game winless streak.

Alexander Frolov scored twice for the Kings, and Trent Klatt and Luc Robitaille added power-play goals.

Senators 6, Penguins 5

At Ottawa, Martin Havlat and Peter Schaefer each scored two goals and Marian Hossa had three assists for the Senators.

Daniel Alfredsson and Josh Langfeld also scored to help Ottawa move within a point of Toronto for the Eastern Conference lead. The Senators improved to 13-2-4 in their last 19 games.

Milan Kraft, Drake Berehowsky, Tom Kostopoulos, Brian Holzinger and Dick Tarnstrom scored for Pittsburgh, which has lost five straight.

Sabres 3, Bruins 2

At Boston, Miroslav Satan scored two late goals to help Buffalo snap a six-game road winless streak.

Buffalo ended a three-game losing streak and won for only the second time in its last six games. The Sabres also ended Boston's six-game home unbeaten streak.

Rory Fitzpatrick also scored for the Sabres. Mike Knuble and Glen Murray scored for Boston.

Avalanche 1, Thrashers 1

At Atlanta, Pasi Nurminen made 20 saves and the Thrashers held Colorado's NHL-leading power play scoreless.

Colorado had converted 24 percent of its opportunities with the man-advantage coming in, but squandered five chances against the Thrashers, including a brief five-on-three in the second period.

Atlanta's Frantisek Kaberle opened the scoring on a first-period power play, and Brad Larsen tied it in the second.

Colorado's David Aebischer made 20 saves.

Coyotes 2, Sharks 1

At San Jose, Calif., Ladislav Nagy and Mike Sillinger scored, and Brian Boucher made 34 saves to help Phoenix snap a five-game winless streak.

Wayne Primeau scored for the Sharks, 4-2 winners over the Coyotes on Wednesday night in Arizona.

Lightning 3, Oilers 2

At Edmonton, Alberta, Vincent Lecavalier scored a goal and added an assist for Tampa Bay. Brad Richards and Pavel Kubina also scored for the Lightning.

Radek Dvorak and Brad Isbister scored for Edmonton.

Flames 4, Predators 0

At Calgary, Alberta, Shean Donovan and Matthew Lombardi each scored twice and Flames goalie Roman Turek made 23 saves for his 25th career shutout.