Anderson’s funky goal lit spark
DENVER — It was confusing, complicated and just the kind of break the Blue Jackets needed to snap out of a five-game funk that covered a span of three weeks.
Josh Anderson’s goahead goal Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center, scored off a rebound at 10:29 of the third period of the Jackets’ 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche, provided more than just a lead. It also led to a goal just 1:42 later by Alexander Wennberg, who capped a power play awarded to the team after a failed coach’s challenge for offside issued by Colorado’s Jared Bednar.
“I don’t know where the puck was,” said Anderson, who entered the zone early and attempted to stay onside with his left skate. “I think that’s what they were looking at (on the review), because (the puck) was in the air. I don’t think they could tell whether it was offside or onside, but at the end of the day, we think they made the right call and those were two big goals that we needed.”
Actually, neither team was convinced one way or the other. Anderson admitted he was a little worried during the review after peering up at the replay on the arena’s video board.
“I was trying to hold the line and then I came back, so I wasn’t really sure,” he said. “I watched it on the big screen. I knew it was going to be tight. I knew that. I didn’t know what to think.”
The pro-avalanche crowd sure did, filling the arena with boos after referee Francis Charron announced the goal was upheld. It was a huge call for the Blue Jackets, who gained the lead, a lift, an additional goal and something even more important — confidence.
“You’ve got to remember, we lose two before an eight-day break, lose a few (after) … it’s like we haven’t won in it seems like a month,” coach John Tortorella said. “That wears on the players, so hopefully that third period we have something to build off.”
There were plenty of building blocks.
Pierre-luc Dubois scored his 20th and 21st goals, surpassing his career-high of 20 last year as a rookie. Artemi Panarin dished out another impressive assist, feathering a pass to Cam Atkinson for a breakaway goal that tied it, 3-3, with 18.9 seconds left in the second.
The Jackets’ best forechecking line also had a good night, as Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner and Anderson gave Colorado fits in the third. Jenner had two assists after missing the previous three games with an infected cut on his right ankle, Anderson decided it with his 17th goal and Foligno was a force down low offensively.
Throw in Sergei Bobrovsky’s 27 saves, several of the elite variety, and it was a good first step in the right direction.
“The biggest thing with our growth as a hockey team at this time of year, I think we’ve got to put pressure on one another,” Tortorella said. “I think the players have to put pressure on one another, and relish in the pressure, not be afraid of the pressure. I still think those first two periods, we’re still pretty nervous. Hopefully we’ll relax now after we played a good third period.”