Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Associated Press
COLUMBUS
Columbus coach John Tortorella hates the kind of music his players often blare in the dressing room. Still, he really wanted them to be able to hear it again.
After the first three games of the playoff series with Pittsburgh, the Blue Jackets players shed their gear in a room that was nearly silent. That’s the way it happens after a loss.
Before Tuesday’s 5-4 win over the Penguins, Tortorella said he wanted the young team to experience a playoff victory, lousy music and all.
“I wanted them — some guys with limited playoff experience, some of them with none — just to try to enjoy a win,” Tortorella said. “Now we’ll figure out how to go about our business and try to manage the series here.”
Markus Nutivaara, William Karlsson and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist, and the Blue Jackets held on to beat the Penguins and avoid a sweep in the best-of-seven playoff series. Nutivaara, a rookie, was making his playoff debut.
Jack Johnson and Josh Anderson also scored for the Blue Jackets, who were able to outlast the Penguins when they pushed back hard in the second and third periods and then got a short-handed goal from Jake Guenztel with 27 seconds left in the game.
“That’s a good team — they can sense the blood in the water,” Tortorella said. “But we got through it.”
Sergei Bobrovsky had 27 saves to help the Blue Jackets get their first playoff win in three years and their first-ever in regulation.
The Penguins now lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, which returns to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Thursday night.
Patric Hornqvist, Ron Hainsey and Tom Kuhnhackl also scored for Pittsburgh, and Marc-Andre Fleury — pressed into service because of an injury to Matt Murray at the start of the series — had 29 saves.
“You earn your bounces, and they were better” Penguins star forward Sidney Crosby said.