Blue Jackets 2, Coyotes 0

[January 03, 2014]  GLENDALE, Ariz. — Blue Jackets 2, Coyotes 0: Nathan Horton scored the decisive goal in his Columbus debut and Curtis McElhinney made 34 saves for his fourth career shutout to lift the visiting Blue Jackets.

R.J. Umberger added a power-play tally as Columbus handed Phoenix its first shutout defeat of the season. McElhinney withstood a 21-shot third period to register his second blanking of the season.

Mike Smith turned aside 29 shots for the Coyotes, who had gone past regulation in each of their previous six games. Phoenix absorbed its seventh loss in the last nine contests (2-3-4) and has been limited to two goals or fewer six times in that span.

Horton, who underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason shortly after signing a seven-year, $37.1 million free-agent contract, broke the scoreless deadlock while on the power play with 4:09 left in the second period. Defenseman James Wisniewski unleashed a one-timer and Horton, sitting on the doorstep, corralled the rebound and tucked it in the right side for his 199th career goal.

The Blue Jackets struck again in similar fashion with another power-play tally midway through the third. Smith denied the initial shot by Nick Foligno as well as Fedor Tyutin's rebound attempt, leaving Umberger with an easy tap-in.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Coyotes D Oliver Ekman-Larsson was slammed into the boards by Columbus C Derek MacKenzie in the first period and did not return due to an upper-body injury. ... Umberger's tally was his 113th with the Blue Jackets, tying David Vyborny for second on the franchise list behind Rick Nash. ... ... Blue Jackets G Sergei Bobrovsky, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, was activated from injured reserve along with Horton and D Dalton Prout and served as the backup. Bobrovsky (groin) has been sidelined since Dec. 3.

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