$24,721. The final top 10 will earn 2015 LPGA Tour c

(SportsNetwork.com) - A pair of teams that have gone in opposite directions in December will meet Wednesday, as the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Minnesota Wild in a New Years Eve battle at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets entered this month with a 6-15-2 record on the season, but Todd Richards club has greatly improved its fortunes by posting a 9-1-1 mark so far in December. Despite the surge, Columbus still finds itself nine points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Minnesota, meanwhile, sits five points removed from the Wests final wild card spot after recording a 4-4-3 mark since the start of December. The low point of the rough month came during a 0-2-3 losing streak, a skid the Wild was able to snap with Mondays road victory in Winnipeg. After dropping the home part of a home-and-home series with the Jets in Saturdays 4-3 overtime loss, the Wild answered with a close win two days later in Winnipeg. Ryan Carter, Justin Fontaine and Marco Scandella all scored in the second period to help Minnesota notch the 3-2 decision at MTS Centre. Darcy Kuemper. who missed the opener of the home-and-home due to an illness, was back between the pipes Monday and helped stopped the skid with a 28-save performance. The Wild picked up the victory despite allowing Winnipeg to score twice on three chances with the man advantage. Minnesota went 0-for-4 on the power play. Our guys did a great job staying with it. Im real happy with the way we played the game, the contributions from everybody, Wild head coach Mike Yeo said. The win pushed Minnesotas road record this season to 8-9-0. Yeos club is capping a brief two-game trip tonight before opening the 2015 calendar year by playing four of five games on home ice. The Blue Jackets are 2-1-1 at the start of a five-game homestand after beginning December on a seven-game winning streak. The club had an 8-0-1 point streak snapped with a 5-1 loss to Nashville on Dec. 22, but rebounded from that setback with a resounding win its first tilt following the Christmas break. Columbus emerged from the holiday hiatus on Saturday and recorded a 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Scott Hartnell led the offense by scoring twice in his return from injury, while Kevin Connauton added a goal and two assists. Hartnell came back after a five-game absence due to a broken finger and picked up his third multi-goal effort of the season and first since Nov. 8 against Tampa Bay. He scored his teams first two goals on Saturday. Nick Foligno, Matt Calvert and Jeremy Morin also lit the lamp for the Blue Jackets. Jack Johnson and Brandon Dubinsky each chipped in a pair of helpers to back a 26-save effort from Curtis McElhinney. He made some big saves ... especially at the start of the third period, Calvert said of McElhinney. McElhinney started Saturday in place of No. 1 netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who was unable to suit up for the game due to an illness. However, Bobrovsky is expected to start tonight and owns a 3-1-0 record and 1.68 goals against average in four career games against the Wild. Saturdays win pushed the Blue Jackets home record to 8-9-2. Columbus will head out on the road after tonight, as it will begin a four-game swing Saturday in Arizona. Columbus has won three straight and five of the last seven meetings against the Wild. The clubs have split the last four encounters at Nationwide Arena. Wholesale Mens Shoes . Scotlands Greg Laidlaw made one of two penalty kicks and all three conversions, and Stuart Hogg added a try in the second half. "The most important thing to come out of the game is that we did not get scored against," Laidlaw said. Wholesale Shoes Cheap . Manager Alex Ferguson says the injury was sustained while the player tried to hit a volley toward the end of training on Tuesday. http://www.wholesaleshoescheap.com/ . The Broncos quarterback earned the offensive award Wednesday after passing for 374 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-21 win over the Raiders Monday night. Manning completed 32-of-37 passes and had a passer rating of 135. Wholesale Cheap Shoes Online . Dallas also Monday recalled defenceman Aaron Rome from his conditioning assignment with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and assigned goaltender Jack Campbell to the AHL squad. Wholesale Shoes Online . - The Raiders have released guard Mike Brisiel after two disappointing seasons in Oakland.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mallory Blackwelder won the Symetra Classic on Saturday for her first Symetra Tour title, closing with a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory. The 26-year-old former Kentucky player had a 10-under 206 total at Raintree Country Club. "It feels amazing," said Blackwelder, the daughter of former Kentucky coach and LPGA Tour player and Myra Blackwelder and tour caddie Worth Blackwelder. "I have been thinking about this moment for a long, long time and its really surreal. "I didnt look at the leaderboard on the back nine, so I wasnt really sure what kind of position I was in. I knew obviously that I was playing great, so walking up to the 18th I saw that I had a three-shot lead and I was on the green, so I knew that I was on cruise control and that just felt amazing." She earned $15,000 to jump from 24th to sixth on the money with $24,721. The final top 10 will earn 2015 LPGA Tour cards. "I just played really solid all week," said Blackweldeer, who opened with rounds of 69 and 70.dddddddddddd "Last week, my mom, whos pretty much my swing coach and teacher, came on Sunday to Asheville and we worked on my short game a lot. "I had a lot of easy up-and-downs last week, but I wasnt converting, so we just made a few tweaks. I changed my putting setup a little bit. "My posture had just gotten a little slumped, so I just stood taller to it this week. I putted great and I hit the ball great." Her mother watched her win Sunday, "It just couldnt be better," Blackwelder said. "She hasnt gotten to watch me play a whole lot the last couple of years, so its just amazing that she could be here." Emily Talley was second after a 68. Min Seo Kwak was third at 7 under after a 69, and Kendall Dye was another stroke back after a 72. Cindy Feng, Demi Runas, Krista Puisite and Olivia Jordan-Higgins tied for fifth at 5 under. Feng and Runas shot 70, Puisite had a 73, and Jordan-Higgins a 74. ' ' '