Vancouver’s Ehrhoff scores 1:33 into overtime to beat Columbus 4-3

By AP
Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Ehrhoff shot gives Canucks 4-3 OT win at Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Vancouver defenseman Christian Ehrhoff scored 1:33 into overtime as the Canucks rallied to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Tuesday.

U.S. Olympic team member Ryan Kessler missed the net wide right but the puck caromed off the end boards to Ehrhoff, who snapped home a shot at the other side of the net for his 12th goal.

Kyle Wellwood scored the tying goal, his eighth, with 5:19 left in regulation, converting a pass from Mason Raymond into a wide open net after a horrible giveaway by defenseman Grant Clitsome near the Columbus goal. Wellwood also had an assist.

Alexandre Burrows and Pavol Demitra also found the net for Vancouver, who fell behind 2-0 after one period.

Andrew Raycroft finished with 27 saves, filling in for Roberto Luongo, who won an Olympic gold medal with the Canadian team.

Andrew Murray, Antoine Vermette and Derek Dorsett scored for Columbus. Clitsome, added to the roster as an emergency recall, had two assists in his first career NHL game.

Steve Mason had 27 saves for the Blue Jackets, who lost their ninth game when leading after two periods.

Vancouver resumed its 14-game road trip, the longest in league history. The Canucks played the first eight before the Olympic break, going 4-4 and don’t return to GM Place until March 13.

Vancouver carried the tempo most of the first period, but Columbus jumped ahead on two quick-strike scores with Clitsome springing the counterattacks.

Murray got the puck and chipped it past the Canucks defense into open space down the right wing. He zoomed in alone on Raycroft, beating him with a high shot for his first goal in a year.

On a similar play into the zone, Vermette, while falling down, whipped a shot under Raycroft’s glove that trickled over the goal line at 17:30 for his 20th. The goal withstood a video review.

The Canucks countered with two of their own in the middle frame, despite being outshot 16-6.

Burrows converted a between-the-legs pass from Wellwood from near the crease early in the period. The goal was the 27th for the fifth-year left wing, setting a personal career high in points.

Demitra, who led Olympic scoring playing for Slovakia, followed at the 9:55 mark with his second, scooping up a loose puck in the slot and zipping it near side by Mason for the power-play tally.

Columbus regained the lead six minutes later when Clitsome cleared the puck to Jake Voracek at the Vancouver blue line. Voracek tapped it to Torres, the center of several trade rumors. The sturdy winger then set up Dorsett, who converted a 2-on-1 for this third.

Notes: The Canucks won the season series 3-1. … Both teams entered the game having won three of their last five games before the Olympic break. … Blue Jackets interim coach Claude Noel is 3-1-2 since replacing Ken Hitchcock on Feb. 3. … Rick Nash’s seven-game point streak ended.

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