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Jackets cool off Blues

Feb 15, 2012 - 4:09 AM Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - Derek Dorsett scored the game-winning goal in the third period, as the Columbus Blue Jackets cooled off the St. Louis Blues, 2-1, at Nationwide Arena.

James Wisniewski also scored and Steve Mason made 31 saves for the Blue Jackets, who rebounded nicely from a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

"I thought it was a terrific hockey game and I'm really pleased with the way our guys played tonight," Blue Jackets interim head coach Todd Richards said. "It was one of our best 60-minute performances of the year."

David Backes scored for St. Louis, which had its four-game winning streak stopped. Jaroslav Halak turned away 31-of-33 shots in defeat.

The Jackets took the lead for good at 6:49 of the third frame when Antoine Vermette fired a shot from the slot that was stopped by Halak, but he left the rebound sitting in the crease. Dorsett then poked it home after getting hit and spinning around on his way to the front of the net.

The Blues pulled Halak with a minute left in regulation and despite Mason coming up with a number big saves, it appeared that the Blues had tied it with just 1.8 seconds remaining.

With time winding down, Mason kicked out a point shot but left the puck in the crease. The puck found its way into the net amid a scramble in front, but a replay showed that David Perron pushed it into the net with his hand and the goal was waived off.

"We got outplayed for two period," Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We outplayed them in the first, but they outplayed us badly in the second and third. They were the better team today."

St. Louis opened the scoring with just 1:09 left in the first stanza while shorthanded. Perron scooped up the puck in the defensive zone off a Columbus turnover and sped up ice on a 2-on-1 with Backes. Perron switched to his backhand before sending a perfect feed to Backes, who backhanded it past the glove side of Mason.

Columbus responded with a power-play goal with 0.1 seconds left on the first- period clock when Jeff Carter won an offensive zone faceoff back to Wisniewski, who fired it past Halak.

Game Notes

Prior to Tuesday's game, the Blue Jackets activated center Mark Letestu from injured reserve. Letestu had missed the previous 17 games with a broken hand...Wisniewski's goal was the latest tally ever recorded in the history of Nationwide Arena...Despite the loss, the Blues have conceded just four third- period goals in their last 20 games...Columbus finished 1-for-4 with the man advantage, while the Blues failed to score on their only power play opportunity.