COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Steve Mason earned his NHL-best ninth shutout of the season, stopping 35 shots and making Raffi Torres’ third-period goal stand up in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

Torres broke the scoreless deadlock 6:35 into the period, and Rick Nash scored a seeing-eye, empty-net goal in the final minute to clinch the win.

The Bruins came in leading the Presidents’ Trophy race with 95 points, one more than San Jose and Detroit. The Blue Jackets entered in sixth place in the Western Conference with 72 points, but eight teams are within six points in the race for the bottom three playoff positions.

The Blue Jackets, in their eighth NHL season, is trying to make the playoffs for the first time.

Tim Thomas matched Mason save for save most of the night, finishing with 32 for the Bruins, who have lost four straight road games.

The game was held up for several minutes 3:56 into the final period when Thomas was handling the puck behind the net and collided with Columbus center Jiri Novotny. Thomas was stunned by the contact, which knocked off his mask, breaking a part of it. During the next break, Thomas skated to the bench and tried on backup Manny Fernandez’s mask and his repaired one before finally picking one.

Thomas was bothered by the helmet and mask the rest of the game.

After stopping 29 shots, many in spectacular fashion, Thomas gave up a goal on one of the weakest drives he faced.

Torres skated with the puck on the right wing. Just inside the dot, he shifted to a left-handed shot and somehow slipped the puck past Thomas high on the stick side for his seventh goal.

Thomas angrily pulled the puck out of the net and fired it at the glass in disgust. He then skated to the bench to have his helmet and mask looked at again.

Mason stopped Chuck Kobasew’s hard shot from the left hash with 7:44 left, then gloved Patrice Bergeron’s slap shot with 51/2 minutes remaining.

With just under a minute left, and Thomas pulled for an extra attacker, Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara’s shot from a hard angle at the left goal line was deflected by Mason. The puck slid behind him, but a Blue Jackets player cleared it.

Nash then found the empty net from the far blue line.

Columbus defenseman Rostislav Klesla smothered what might have been the Bruins’ best scoring chance. After Mason had blocked Chara’s shot in the opening minutes of the game, the puck settled between Mason and the goal line. Klesla dived on the puck to prevent the Bruins from poking it into the net.

Notes: Boston C Phil Kessel was rocked on a check into the boards by Columbus D Jan Hejda with 6:30 left in the second period. He was in pain as he skated to the bench and was helped into the dressing room, but returned for the third. … The Blue Jackets played the first of four at home in a five-game span.

AP-ES-03-10-09 2208EDT

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