Blue Jackets rally to tie Canucks
Associated Press
2/5/2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Vancouver Canucks blew a three-goal lead in Wednesday night's 4-4 tie with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Todd Bertuzzi was not happy about it.
``It was well played by us at the start and then ... just stupid mistakes again,'' said Bertuzzi, still fuming after the Blue Jackets' Darren Van Impe scored a short-handed goal with 2:26 left to forge the tie. ``In 4-1 games, you should be able to close those games out.
``We'd better learn the hard lesson now or we're going to pay a high price later on. No ifs and ands about it. It's unacceptable. It has to come to a halt.''
Understandably, the mood was considerably brighter in the Columbus dressing room after the Blue Jackets got a point for the first time in franchise history after being down by three goals.
``We were down 4-1 and we didn't stop battling,'' said general manager and interim coach Doug MacLean. ``That was a character-builder for us. Let's not kid ourselves - that's one of the best teams in the NHL.
``It was a hard-fought point and I am really proud of our guys.''
The Canucks, in first place in the Northwest Division, led 4-1 after Bertuzzi, Sami Salo and Trevor Linden scored goals in a span of 8:01 of the second period.
``We work hard to get a lead and then I don't know if we think it's going to be a breeze the rest of the way or what,'' said Vancouver's Markus Naslund, the NHL's second-leading scorer.
The Canucks led 4-3 heading into the final period after Columbus picked up late second-period goals from Tyler Wright and Mike Sillinger. The Canucks were 20-0-4-0 when leading through two periods.
Trent Klatt had the other Canucks goal, while David Vyborny also scored for the Blue Jackets, 2-0-2-0 in their last four games.
Columbus defenceman Scott Lachance was called for a double-minor for high sticking with just over five minutes left and Vancouver still clinging to the lead.
The Blue Jackets' Sean Pronger streaked in from the right wing and had to jump over goaltender Peter Skudra as Skudra deflected his shot. The rebound bounced to Van Impe, a free agent signing last month, in the left circle and he converted his first goal since last March 30 when he was playing for the New York Islanders.
``I read Prongs going to the net,'' Van Impe said. ``So I kind of just went down and fortunately the puck came right to me and I had an empty net.''
In the overtime period, Columbus goaltender Marc Denis made saves against Naslund on a 2-on-1 rush and twice on slapshots by Mattias Ohlund.
Bertuzzi and Linden each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks while Naslund had two assists. Bertuzzi stretched his points streak to nine games.
``Full credit to them for coming back,'' Canucks coach Marc Crawford said. ``We certainly need to make sure we don't make those dumb mistakes that we made.''
Trailing 4-1 late in the second period, Columbus came right back to score twice in 52 seconds. Wright carried the puck in on a rush and Skudra blocked his shot, but Wright spun in the slot and backhanded the rebound past the sprawling Skudra for his 15th of the year.
On a power play, Sillinger redirected Ray Whitney's blast from the point for his 14th goal to cut the lead to 4-3.
A Skudra misplay led to the Blue Jackets' first goal. He came out of the crease to the right corner to move the puck, then abandoned it to Columbus' Andrew Cassels. Cassels dug it off the boards and slid a pass to Vyborny in the right circle and his wrister beat Skudra before he could get back in net. Defenceman Brent Sopel tried to block the shot but Vyborny's 13th slipped by him.
``These are huge points at the end of the season and we want to be in that hunt and keep climbing that ladder,'' said Denis, who made 36 saves.
Cheers,
Aquaman