NHL Avalanche hands Blue Jackets 5-1 loss

Colorado is now 12-0-1 all-time against Columbus.
DENVER (AP) -- Joe Sakic had a goal and three assists, Philippe Sauve stopped 35 shots, and the Colorado Avalanche stayed unbeaten against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 5-1 victory Saturday night.
Derek Morris added a goal and two assists for Colorado, unbeaten in five games (3-0-2). Teemu Selanne, Milan Hejduk and Andrei Nikolishin also scored for the Avalanche, 12-0-1 against the Blue Jackets.
Rick Nash scored his 10th goal in nine games for Columbus, 1-4-1 in its last six games. The Blue Jackets remained the league's only winless team on the road and set a team record for longest road losing streak (0-9-1-1).
Sauve was spectacular at times for his first win since Nov. 6 against Phoenix, his first NHL victory. His best save came in the second period, when he blocked one shot and dived back to get his stick out just in time to stop Derrick Walser on the rebound.
Sauve also made a sprawling save on Walser's one-timer from just in front of the goal midway through the third, then gloved a hard shot by Nash late.
Colorado improved to 7-0 at home against Columbus, outscoring the Blue Jackets 32-10.
Colorado scores early
The Avalanche didn't waste any time in this one, scoring five minutes in on a give-and-go between Selanne and Sakic. Selanne easily scored his eighth of the season after Sakic's quick one-touch pass pulled Columbus goalie Marc Denis almost all the way out of the crease.
And the Avalanche didn't let up.
Sakic, playing NHL game No. 1,100, made it 2-0 on a power play with 5:31 left in the first, beating Denis stick side with a wrister while the Blue Jackets were still setting up. He has 11 points in six games and nine goals on the season.
Hejduk added to it 49 seconds later, punching in his 15th from the edge of the crease after Morris' shot jumped Denis' stick.
Morris scored at 12:50 of the third, one-timing a pass from Alex Tanguay with a two-man advantage. Nikolishin made it 5-1 just 35 seconds later on a power play, beating Denis between the pads from a tough angle.
Nash, playing his 100th NHL game, extended his points streak to eight games with a slick goal at 9:52 of the second period.
Nash took a pass from Andrew Cassels from behind the goal, dragged the puck behind him to draw Sauve out, then quickly switched to the backhand for his 18th of the season. He only scored 17 in 74 games during his rookie season of 2002-03.