By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS (AP) — Alex Stalock stopped 24 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and the Minnesota Wild beat the Blue Jackets for the second time this week, 5-0 on Friday night.
Zach Parise and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist to help the Wild win their third straight and improve to 12-5-1 in their past 18.
They moved within a point of a wild-card slot in the crowded Western Division.
The injury-plagued Blue Jackets are slipping in the other direction.
They lost for the 10th time in 11 games, but still started the day holding the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Division.
Four hours after a 7-1 rout of Detroit in the first leg of the back-to-back, the Wild also got goals from Joel Eriksson Ek, Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Hartman. Stalock had his ninth career shutout.