Blue Jackets beat Avs under new coach Tortorella for first win
DENVER — Brandon Dubinsky was denied a goal in the second period. He came through later with the game-winner.
Dubinsky scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Saturday night for their first win in nine games this season.
Boone Jenner had two goals and Sergei Bobrovsky had 31 saves for the Blue Jackets. Their 0-8-0 start was the worst since the New York Rangers lost their first 11 games in 1943-44.
"It's really gratifying," Nick Foligno said. "Now, let's do it again. We've worked hard for it but let's get ready for the next one."
The Blue Jackets trailed 3-2 entering the third but tied it on Ryan Murray's first goal of the season 3:56 into the period. Dubinsky had a goal disallowed in the second, but then gave Columbus the lead when he scored on a rebound 2:47 after Murray's tally.
"We haven't gotten a lot of bounces so it was a tough break," Dubinsky said of the disallowed goal. "Hard work is the way you get the bounces to go your way. That's the kind of effort we put forth in the third period. It's been a while since we've had this type of feeling in the dressing room so we'll celebrate it."
Bobrovsky made 11 saves in the third to make the lead stand up.
Coach John Tortorella got his first win with Columbus after taking over prior to Thursday's game in Minnesota, replacing fired Todd Richards.
"We felt this was the type of game to get you out of these slumps, you find a way to gut one out," Tortorella said. "I've only been here a couple of days doing this and they've been doing this for quite a while, since camp, so I'm happy for them."
Jarome Iginla had a goal and an assist for Colorado, which fell to 1-3-1 at home. Semyon Varlamov stopped 32 shots.
"We respect them. We know they're a hard working team but you don't want to be a team's first win of the season after a tough time," Iginla said.
The Avalanche pulled Varlamov for an extra skater with 55 seconds left and the teams skating 4-on-4. They had a two-man advantage when Blake Comeau came out of the penalty box but they couldn't get the equalizer.
"We had chances at the end to tie the game," Colorado coach Patrick Roy said.
Iginla's goal 1:43 into the second tied the game, and he set up Nathan MacKinnon for a power-play score late in the period to give Colorado a 3-2 lead.
"My goal probably should have been the game-winner for us," MacKinnon said. "Knowing what we are doing in the third periods seems to be embarrassing."
Jenner had given the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead with a pair of goals in the first period. His first midway through came off a turnover at the blue line by Avalanche defenseman Nick Holden. Later, Jenner deflected David Savard's shot from the point on the power play.
Savard finished with two assists.
Jack Skille scored 2:21 into the game to give Colorado a 1-0 lead.
NOTES: Blue Jackets C Ryan Johansen was sent home to Columbus on Saturday morning because of illness. ... Avalanche D Brad Stuart (back) was scratched for the fifth time in seven games. He is considered day to day. ... Columbus is now 5-2-1 in its last eight games in Denver. ... Avalanche D Tyson Barrie served the last of his three-game suspension for his hit on Anaheim D Simon Despres on Oct. 16.
