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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A comeback win is a new experience
for the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets.
Geoff Sanderson scored twice in the third period, and Ron
Tugnutt stopped four point-blank shots in the final minute as the
Blue Jackets rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Mighty
Ducks on Saturday night.
The win was Columbus' first when trailing after two
periods (1-21-1-2).
"We finished in a bit of a flurry. Teams come in here expecting
to win, they expect a free lunch," Columbus coach Dave King said.
"It was not an easy game for us. Tug made a couple of post-to-post
saves."
Sanderson scored on a power play with 12:05 remaining to give
Columbus the lead when his slap shot slid past Anaheim goalie
Jean-Sebastien Giguere's stick. Sanderson leads the Blue Jackets
with five game-winning goals.
"The second goal was more out of frustration," said Sanderson,
who leads the Blue Jackets with 22 goals. "I just wanted to get it
on net, and (Steve) Heinze did a great job of screening the
goalie."
Tugnutt sensed it was going to be a rare comeback
Columbus victory.
"As soon as we got the tying goal, I think you could see the
momentum change. I knew if we could tie it up we'd win the game,"
Tugnutt said. "Sandy came up to bat for the boys."
It was the second straight night Anaheim lost after taking a
lead into the third. The Ducks were 12-0-1-1 before a 3-2 loss at
Detroit on Friday night.
"Tonight in the last stretch of five minutes we put on a good
effort, but couldn't find a way," Ducks coach Guy Charron said.
Sanderson, who has eight goals in the last nine games, tied it
1-1 early in the period. Giguere stopped Espen Knutsen's shot from
the slot, but Sanderson put in the rebound at 1:29.
"He's unconscious. Everything he shoots is going in," King
said of Sanderson.
Anaheim dropped into last place in the Western Conference, a
spot Columbus held since Nov. 24. The Ducks have lost five in a
row, and are 2-13-2-1 in their last 17.
"Before the game, all the guys were talking about getting out
of the basement," King said. "It was a real solid focus for us
tonight."
The Blue Jackets, winners of three straight, have earned at
least one point in a franchise-record five straight games
(4-0-0-1).
Ducks rookie Marc Chouinard scored his first NHL goal at 4:11 to
make it 1-0.
Tugnutt stopped a shot from the point, after a giveaway by
defenseman Jean-Luc Grand Pierre in the left corner. Then, with the
puck squirting into heavy traffic, Chouinard scored with a
high-rising backhander.
Columbus failed to convert on eight minutes of power-play time
in the opening period.
Tugnutt finished with 27 saves.
Game notes
Paul Kariya played his second game since returning to the
Ducks' lineup Friday night after missing 19 games with a broken
foot. Anaheim was 3-13-0-2 without him. ... The Blue Jackets
entered tied as the league leader in goals scored (25) by rookies.
... Columbus is 10-7-3-2 since ending a season-high eight-game
losing streak against Anaheim on Dec. 6. ... Ducks defenseman Oleg
Tverdovsky has played in 261 consecutive games, the second-longest
active streak in the NHL. ... The announced crowd of 18,136 was
Columbus' 11th sellout of the season.
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