Blue Jackets 3, Red Wings 2
DETROIT -- Vinny Prospal's goal with 24.7 seconds left broke a tie and gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 3-2 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.
The game was delayed when Columbus center Artem Anisimov was taken off the ice, immobilized, on a stretcher 3:48 into the second period.
Anisimov never lost consciousness and was alert and responsive before being taken to the Detroit Medical Center for further evaluation.
Derek Dorsett had a goal and an assist, and R.J. Umberger also scored for Columbus, which snapped a three-game losing streak and rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots for the Blue Jackets (5-10-2).
Damien Brunner and Valtteri Filppula scored for Detroit (7-7-3), which is winless in five games. Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard made 21 saves.
Prospal finished off a 3-on-2 rush with a backhand shot past Howard with his back to the Detroit goal. It was Prospal's sixth goal of the season.
Dorsett tied the game 5:03 into the third period when he put in a rebound for his second goal of the season.
Anisimov was hurt as the players approached the boards behind the Detroit net. Anisimov tripped over Detroit's Ian White, and as Anisimov was falling, White's defense partner Kyle Quincey fell, and Quincey's elbow came down on the back of Anisimov's head. After the other players skated away from the pile up, Anisimov remained face down on the ice and motionless.
Quincey also left the game because of a left leg injury, so the Red Wings finished the night with only five defenseman.
Brunner opened the scoring just 18 seconds into the game when he stuffed a shot past Bobrovsky from the goaltender's right after intercepting a pass by Nick Foligno behind the Columbus net. It was Brunner's eighth goal of the year.
Just 2:22 later, Filppula made it 2-0 with his fourth goal. Brian Lashoff's shot bounced in off Filppula.
Umberger put Columbus on the board with at 4:23 of the first period with a power-play goal. He shoveled a shot past Howard from in front of the net. It was Umberger's second goal of the season.
NOTES: Howard returned after leaving Detroit's 4-3 overtime loss in Nashville on Tuesday night because of blurry vision. ... Columbus right wing Cam Atkinson returned after missing 13 games due to a high ankle sprain. He assisted on Umberger's power-play goal in the first period. ... Red Wings forward Johan Franzen missed his fifth game because of a hip flexor injury. ... Detroit left wing Jan Mursak returned after missing 15 games with a shoulder injury. ... Columbus defenseman Jack Johnson is a native of Ann Arbor and played at the University of Michigan. ... Blue Jackets left wing Foligno's father, Mike, played with the Red Wings from 1979-80 to 1981-82. It was the second game that Nick Foligno has ever played at Joe Louis Arena.
