After two points and one fantastic Sergei Bobrovsky save, the Blue Jackets were in a slightly different mood Saturday night than after Friday's loss vs. Carolina.
Two Artemi Panarin goals – one in the first period and another in the shootout – and Jack Johnson's ninth-round shootout winner helped Columbus to a 2-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night in Little Caesars Arena.
Here's what a few of the Blue Jackets had to say after the game.
John Tortorella
On choosing guys to go in the shootout: "Flip a coin. You know, I asked (players) and some of them give you an 'Ehhhh.' You can tell. (Assistant Brad Larsen) was telling me, Cam Atkinson, 'Jack Johnson.' I said, 'I'm not using Jack.' Jack just turned around and said, 'I'm good.' I said, 'Are you any good at these?' He says, 'I'm good.' Just how Jack is with that deadpan look. So he's in the top three now. We'll go from there."
On Sergei Bobrovsky's overtime 2-on-0 save: "I was too busy yelling at Bread for turning the puck over. I really didn't see the save until I saw a highlight. What's amazing to me with the save is Bob is pushing one way, and usually that goaltender ends up in the corner. The athletic ability and strength in his legs to stop and get a little bit of a push back was just unbelievable."
On if he needed to calm the team down going to the shootout after a frantic overtime:
"You don't. You let them go. I was having fun watching it. I looked over at (Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill) and he's laughing as far as some of the things that went on. It's so hard to coach 3-on-3, so we don't even bother."
On winning after traveling to Detroit the day of the game because of a plane issue Friday night: "They get a day off and they sit on a crazy win, which is good for them. I don't think the travel was that bad. It really didn't foul around with our whole schedule. Maybe we were half an hour late for lunch. It's such an easy flight. I was just glad we were notified last night. Sometimes you get stuck on a plane and say, 'Can you fix it?' and they say '30 minutes,' and it's really two hours. That's when you're screwed."
Oliver Bjorkstrand
On the win: "We needed the win. We lost too many games in a row. It was a huge game."
On the team's effort: "I thought we played a good game. There was a lot of good parts to it. We had a few chances to put it in, but their goalie played good and we had to finish it in a shootout."
Brandon Dubinsky
On the win: "I'm just happy with the result. Obviously there are some good things and bad things within the game, but through some adversity we come here and find a way to get a win, which is the most important thing."
On playing a better third period on the way to the win: "They're a good team. They're fast through the neutral zone. They make you defend, too. They had their opportunities, but that's just the way the game is. I'm happy we stuck with it, and Big Bob over there, Bobby, what can you say?"
On the Bobrovsky save: "I don't know how he made the save. It was incredible. ... That's why he's the best in the world."
Sergei Bobrovsky
On the win: "We were desperate. We lost a few in a row, so it was a huge game for us and we just had to find a way to win. It doesn't matter how."
On his head-turning save: "I just play by the puck. It just happened. I can't explain what the process was. I don't know. I can't even remember."
