Zidlicky's late goal lifts Wild over Blue Jackets

Marek Zidlicky scored with 39 seconds left, snapping a tie and giving the Minnesota Wild a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Mikko Koivu won a faceoff in the Columbus zone and sent the puck to the point to Zidlicky, who waited for an opening and fired a shot off goalie Steve Mason's stick and over his shoulder for the winning goal.

Guillaume Latendresse also scored and Koivu had a pair of assists for the Wild, who won their fourth straight home game and improved to 10-1-1 in their 12 games in Minnesota against the Blue Jackets. Niklas Backstrom stopped 21 shots.

Rick Nash scored the Blue Jackets' lone goal, and Mason also made 21 saves, but Columbus dropped to 2-8-4 in its last 14 games. The Blue Jackets have lost seven straight on the road (0-4-3).

Nash gave Columbus a 1-0 lead 3:41 into the second period on the Blue Jackets' sixth shot of the game. Nash, who has scored only three of his team-leading 17 goals during the Blue Jackets' slump, corralled a loose puck in front and easily wrapped a shot around the sprawled-out Backstrom.

It was Nash's second goal and fifth point in last four games. Jason Chimera's assist gave him six points in seven games after a 12-game scoring drought. The goal also gave the Blue Jackets their first lead in four games, but it didn't last long.

Latendresse made it 1-1 less than five minutes later, beating Mason between the pads off a no-look backhand pass from behind the net by Koivu. Martin Havlat was credited with the second assist, giving him a point on six straight goals for the Wild, dating to Friday's game at Calgary.

Havlat is on a season-high, three-game point streak. He had a career-best 77 points last season with Chicago.

Koivu's assist snapped a season-high, four-game scoreless streak. Latendresse earned a point for the first time in seven games.

NOTES: Minnesota recalled LW Robbie Earl and G Anton Khudobin from Houston of the AHL, and both were in the lineup. Khudobin served as Backstrom's backup because Josh Harding was out with the flu. ... The Wild paced C Andrew Ebbett on the injured reserve because of a concussion. RW Owen Nolan missed his second straight game due to leg soreness. ... Play was delayed for nearly 10 minutes at 8:20 of the second period when Minnesota C James Sheppard checked off-balance Columbus D Fedor Tyutin into the boards, sending his skate through the glass.