Blue Jackets 6, Flames 4: Mark Letestu, Vinny Prospal and R.J. Umberger each recorded a goal and an assist as Columbus salvaged the finale of its four-game road trip.
Matt Calvert, Derick Brassard and Ryan Johansen also scored, Artem Anisimov registered two assists and Steve Mason made 29 saves for the Blue Jackets, who went 1-2-1 on their trek and are 9-2-5 in their last 16 overall.
Defenseman Dennis Wideman had a power-play goal and an assist while Mikael Backlund, Brian McGrattan and Curtis Glencross each added a goal for Calgary, which had its eight-game home winning streak snapped. Miikka Kiprusoff allowed five goals on 20 shots over two periods before being replaced by Joey MacDonald, who stopped all four shots he faced in the third.
Letestu scored the lone goal of the first period while short-handed, intercepting a bad pass by Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie in the slot and beating Kiprusoff with a backhand shot from the doorstep at 10:20. McGrattan forged a tie early in the second, but Prospal and Calvert scored less than two minutes apart midway through the period to give Columbus a 3-1 lead.
Each team scored twice later in the second, with Johansen stealing the puck from Matt Stajan in the neutral zone and racing in to beat Kiprusoff with 65 seconds left to open a 5-3 advantage. Glencross got the Flames within one with 5:40 remaining in the third, but Umberger sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Letestu's goal was the first short-handed tally allowed by Calgary this season. ... Prospal scored the 253rd goal of his career, giving him sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list of Czech-born players. He had been tied for the spot with Robert Reichel. ... McGrattan ended a 74-game drought with his goal. The enforcer had not scored since Oct. 16, 2009 during his first stint with the Flames. ... Stajan's assist on Glencross' goal was the 200th of his career.
Columbus | Calgary | |
Mark Letestu 2 | Points | Dennis Wideman 2 |
Mark Letestu 1 | Goals | Dennis Wideman 1 |
Artem Anisimov 2 | Assists | Dennis Wideman 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Dennis Wideman 1 |
Mark Letestu 1 | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Steve Mason .879 | Save Percentage | Joey MacDonald 1.000 |
Steve Mason 29 | Saves | Miikka Kiprusoff 15 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Columbus | 25 | 6 | 0-1 | 3-4 | 13 | 39 |
Calgary | 33 | 4 | 1-4 | 1-1 | 7 | 20 |