The Blue Jackets' ice-capped offense heated up after a three-game chill. Frantic Fredrik Norrena, the struggling backup goaltender, looked calm and in control. And after fighting a bouncing, unfriendly puck for the early part of the season, the vulcanized hunk of rubber became the Blue Jackets' friend again.

A 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche before an announced crowd of 14,945 ended a three-game losing streak.

"It seems like we're always down early and spending the rest of the game chasing in this place," Blue Jackets left winger Jason Chimera said. "This was good for us. We needed a game like this."

Chimera and rookie center Derick Brassard each had a goal and an assist, and Andrew Murray and Jan Hejda added goals.

It was Hejda's first goal in 91 games with the Blue Jackets, and his first NHL goal since Jan. 8, 2007, a span of 115 games.

"It's hard to for me to say which of my two goals was more beautiful," Hejda joked.

But the real story for the Blue Jackets was on the other end of the ice, where Norrena made 30 saves, ending an eight-game streak without a win.

"I really think him spending time with (interim goaltending coach Perry Elderbroom) has helped Freddy a lot; it's calmed him down," Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He looked like the Freddy from a year and a half ago.

"I think it's a great sign for us."

Norrena has been in goal for four of the Blue Jackets' five wins over the Avalanche, including both wins in the Pepsi Center.

"It feels unbelievably good," Norrena said. "I'm a new guy right now."

As for the 4-0 lead the Blue Jackets provided?

"I was like, 'What's going on here?' " Norrena said. "We scored some big goals early in the game, and our defense was very, very good. Really good.

"We controlled the game. We made them force shots from the outside."

Brassard gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 1:38 into the game, firing high to the glove side on Avs goaltender Andrew Raycroft from the top of the right faceoff circle.

At 8:30 of the second period, Chimera picked out the same target and put the Blue Jackets up 2-0.

"We didn't have any book on him, no," Chimera said. "Those were two pretty good shots."

Murray gave the Blue Jackets a 3-0 lead on an odd-angle shot that caromed off Raycroft's right leg and into the net. Hejda made it 4-0 when he took a feed from Chimera and scored from the slot.

It's the biggest lead the Blue Jackets have enjoyed so far this season.

The Avs scored late in the second period and late in the third to make it 4-2, but it was never close.

Norrena made huge saves when he needed to, and the Blue Jackets' defensemen played their best game collectively this season.

"That's four games in a row now that we've played really well," Hitchcock said. "It was nice to get rewarded."

Hitchcock held true to his word, opening the game with Rick Nash at center.

It only lasted a few shifts, though. Nash spent the second and third periods back at his natural left wing.

By the end of the night, everything seemed back in place for the Blue Jackets.

aportzline@dispatch.com