Panthers  0    Blue Jackets  3

Florida Panthers (11-13-6) at Columbus Blue Jackets (13-11-5), 7 p.m.

Sports Network | December 9, 2009

(Sports Network) - A pair of struggling teams will meet tonight in Ohio as the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Florida Panthers for an interconference clash tonight at Nationwide Arena.

Both clubs have lost three straight and eight of their last nine games. Florida is 1-4-4 during that stretch, while the Blue Jackets are 1-5-3.

The Panthers have been able to record a point in each of their last two games, as they dropped consecutive home shootout decisions against Atlanta and Edmonton. The Oilers came away with a 3-2 decision on Monday after Shawn Horcoff tallied the game-winner in the third round of the shootout at BankAtlantic Center.

After a scoreless overtime, Robert Nilsson scored in the second round of the shootout to give the Oilers the advantage, but Rostislav Olesz answered to even things. Horcoff then ended the game when he squeezed a backhander through the pads of Tomas Vokoun for the game-winner.

Dominic Moore accounted for both Panthers goals, while Vokoun made 26 saves in defeat.

"I thought it was a good team effort all the way around." said Moore. "Sometimes you don't get the bounces. If we continue to work like that we'll get the results."

Panthers forward Gregory Campbell suffered an undisclosed injury in Monday's game and did not travel with the team for this first stop on a four-game road trip. Florida is 7-7-1 as the visitor this year and has dropped three straight on the road.

The Blue Jackets were dealt a close regulation loss their last time out, losing a 3-2 decision Saturday against visiting Colorado. Wojtek Wolski scored a goal and assisted on Chris Stewart's third-period tally that proved to be the game-winner, as the Avalanche held on to defeat Columbus, 3-2, at Nationwide Arena.

Columbus thought that it had tied the game late as Jason Chimera appeared to score his second goal of the game for Columbus in the waning seconds of regulation. However, the puck was ruled to have gone under the net and not between the two posts.

Jakub Voracek registered a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, while Steve Mason made 16 saves in defeat.

"We didn't give them very much," said Columbus head coach Ken Hitchcock. "We weren't hungry (in the first half of the game) like we were in the third period. In the second half of the game, we were real hungry to score."

Columbus is 7-4-3 as the host this year and is wrapping up a three-game homestand tonight. The Blue Jackets have dropped three of their last four tests on home ice.

The Jackets recorded a 3-1 win at Florida last year in the only meeting between the clubs in 2008-09. Columbus has taken two of three and three of the last five encounters overall, but the Panthers have two wins in their last three trips to Nationwide Arena.