Anton Forsberg saves Blue Jackets late in historic first win

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Anton Forsberg wasn’t supposed to be at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Forsberg was an emergency recall when it was determined goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky had reinjured his groin. And then Curtis McElhinney was injured 55 seconds into overtime against the Washington Capitals, prompting Forsberg to step into 3-on-3 action against the Eastern Conference’s top team.

“It’s obviously not the situation you thought you’d be in, but I can’t do anything else,” Forsberg said via NHL.com. “I had to go in and take it for what it is.”

Forsberg stopped all six Caps’ shots on goal in the extra session including a Washington 4-on-3 power play.

He allowed a T.J. Oshie shootout goal, but then stopped Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Johansen scored for Columbus to give the Blue Jackets a 5-4 win. The victory was Forsberg’s first of his NHL career. It was the first time in NHL history a goaltender won his first game after entering the contest following regulation.

“My God, he played well,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. “The kid ends up in a shootout. It’s just crazy.” 

According to Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch, Forsberg got the call Friday night that he was being recalled. He then took a cab to Chicago from Milwaukee at 4:30 a.m., where the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate was supposed to play Saturday. His equipment arrived in the afternoon.

Forsberg had five prior games of NHL experience. 

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