Blue Jackets win 1st home playoff game

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 24, 2014

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the dressing room after Brandon Dubinsky’s late goal forced overtime, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno half-jokingly said he’d get the winner.

Then he did it.

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Dubinsky scored with 22.5 seconds left in regulation and Foligno’s wrist shot just inside the blue line 2:49 into the extra session — from right over the top of the Stanley Cup painted under the ice — gave upstart Columbus a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

Asked if he had called the goal, Foligno laughed.

“I might have,” he said with a wide grin. “I didn’t actually think it would work out, but it ended up working. I’m going to thank my lucky stars.”

The Blue Jackets overcame a 3-0 deficit for their first home playoff victory in the franchise’s 13 seasons, sending the series back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 tied 2-2.

In other games Wednesday:

Stars 4, Ducks 2: DALLAS — Cody Eakin and Alex Goligoski scored 1:22 apart on Dallas’ first two shots in the third period and the Stars beat top-seeded Anaheim in Game 4 to tie the series 2-2. Even without captain Ryan Getzlaf, a surprise late scratch with an upper-body injury, and healthy scratch Teemu Selane, the Ducks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Bryan Allen and Patrick Maroon. Dallas captain Jaime Benn scored off a faceoff only 27 seconds into the second period, his third goal in the series. Vernon Fiddler tied it at 6:33 of the second.

Blackhawks 4, Blues 3: CHICAGO — Patrick Kane scored his second goal of the game at 11:17 of overtime as Chicago evened the series at two games apiece. Kane carried the puck down the left side as teammates Ben Smith and Brandon Saad rushed toward the net, and beat Ryan Miller with a well-placed wrist shot for his 32nd career postseason goal.

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