{coyotes} Johansen's OT goal lifts Blue Jackets past Coyotes

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

{coyotes} Johansen's OT goal lifts Blue Jackets past Coyotes

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COLUMBUS -- Ryan Johansen scored at 3:33 of overtime to move the Columbus Blue Jackets closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-3 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday.

Johansen took a pass from James Wisniewski at the blue line and broke free down the left side before snapping the puck past Phoenix goalie Thomas Greiss for his 32nd goal after Columbus blew a late lead.

Columbus (41-31-7) remained in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets need two points from the remaining three games to clinch a berth.

Phoenix (36-28-15) fell to 0-2-3 in the past five games, but the Coyotes remain in the hunt for a Western Conference wild card.

With Greiss pulled for an extra attacker, the Coyotes got the tying goal by Oliver Ekman-Larsson on a shot from inside the blue line through traffic with 14.6 seconds left in regulation against goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (29 saves). Ekman-Larsson's 15th goal was preceded by a faceoff win after Columbus was called for icing with 36.1 seconds left.

Columbus had taken the 3-2 lead with 6:18 remaining on a Blake Comeau goal.

Comeau gathered the puck along the left wall in the neutral zone and skated to the faceoff circle before snapping a shot that Greiss (26 saves) couldn't glove. Artem Anisimov got his second assist of the game on Comeau's fifth goal.

Earlier, Martin Erat and Shane Doan scored to give Phoenix a 2-1 lead through one period. Boone Jenner had opened the scoring to put Columbus ahead earlier in the first.

Mark Letestu tied the game for Columbus 5:25 into the middle period with his second goal in as many games, 10th this season.

On Letestu's goal, Doan's clearing attempt off the boards took an odd bounce and stayed in the zone at the blue line. Anisimov found Letestu in the high slot for a shot that hit the left pipe on the way to the back of the net.

Jenner put the Blue Jackets ahead 1-0 at 8:15 of the first when Johansen forced a turnover along the right wall. Johansen sent a cross-ice pass to Nathan Horton, who fed Jenner for the quick shot that beat Greiss glove-side for the rookie's 15th goal.

Horton earned an assist in his first game after sitting four with a lower-body injury.

At that point the shots favored Columbus 2-0. The Blue Jackets would get two more the remainder of the period, and the Coyotes scored on two of their nine.

Columbus-killer Erat tied the score at 13:32 after a jam session in the crease. The play was initially ruled no goal, but that ruling was changed upon review because the puck cleanly crossed the line with Erat taking the last poke for his third goal.

Erat has 59 points (17 goals, 42 assists) in 62 career games against Columbus, the most points he has against any opponent.

Doan made it 2-1 at 17:53 with a tip of Michael Stone's drive from the right point. Keith Yandle had the initial pass on Doan's 21st goal.

Phoenix was scoreless on two power plays. Columbus failed on its lone opportunity.

Columbus plays Wednesday at the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in a game postponed March 10 after Dallas forward Rich Peverley collapsed on the Dallas bench due to a cardiac event.

The teams will play a full 60 minutes of regulation time, plus any potential overtime and shootout, but the Blue Jackets will retain the 1-0 lead on a Horton goal prior to when Peverley collapsed.

Horton is unlikely to play because he reinjured himself during the second period Tuesday.

Phoenix's last road game is Thursday against the Nashville Predators before it plays its final two at Jobing.com Arena.

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