This one’s for you, Artem Anisimov. Columbus’ Anisimov was carried off the ice with an injury, but the Blue Jackets overcome a 2-0 deficit to down the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Vinny Prospal’s goal with :24 left Thursday night.
The Blue Jackets, having witnessed something you never want to see in the second period, were down 2-1 when their teammate fell to the ice and was carried off on a stretcher. They had played a solid end of the first period after a shaky first couple of minutes and were in good shape to start the second when coach Todd Richards called them to the bench to regroup after Anisimov’s injury.
Columbus took a heavy right hook from the slumping Red Wings in the first period and quickly fell behind 2-0, but they didn’t flinch. A power play goal from RJ Umberger brought them within 2-1 and it was a goal that lit a fire under the bench. They were the better team in the final 55 minutes of the hockey game, and thanks to a thrilling finish in the waning seconds of regulation, emerged with a 3-2 victory at Joe Louis Arena.
In the process, they snapped a six-game road winless streak and broke a three-game skid overall. It was a game of severe ebbs and flows but the Blue Jackets stemmed the tide and pulled even early in the third period. Derick Brassard cut hard to the net and put a backhander into traffic that hit Derek Dorsett in the back. As the puck fell to the ice, Dorsett got two shots off and the second was slammed in behind Jimmy Howard.
At that moment, it felt as if everything had changed. And ultimately, it did.
Damien Brunner tried a centering pass to Pavel Datsyuk in front of the Blue Jackets’ net in the final minute of the third period, but it was broken up by Mark Letestu and Columbus started a 3-on-2 break the other way. Dorsett hit James Wisniewskiwith a wide pass, and the feed from Wisniewski to Prospal was as stunning as the finish. Vinny Prospal pulled a total spin-o-rama and tucked the game-winner into the open side with 24.7 seconds to play.
The Dorsett goal, as we mentioned above, changed the game. Detroit sat back a little bit in the opening stages of the third period and Columbus kept at its forechecking, grinding game. Brassard made a great play to get to the front, and Dorsett cleaned up the rest after the Red Wings appeared exhausted from a long shift. The goal certainly perked up the Columbus bench and put some doubt into the Red Wings, who looked timid the rest of the way.
About Marion Online Sports
