Of course, the comeback story didn't make it all the way until the final buzzer. One deflected goal by Elias Pettersson and a sharp-angle winner from Jake Virtanen later and the Canucks escaped Nationwide Arena with a 3-2 win that sent Columbus to its second straight loss to begin a six-game homestand.
The next chance for redemption comes Thursday against a banged-up Los Angeles Kings team, which makes its lone visit to Columbus for the clash.
"That's the rub now is we play the right way but we didn't get a result," Tortorella said after a game in which the Blue Jackets held a 23-11 advantage in scoring chances as tracked by the team. "Can we stay with our concentration here and stay with the things we have to do?
"Because we made some great corrections in our game to get it back to how we should be playing, but we didn't get the result. We have to be able to do it tomorrow night and keep on working at that part of it, and hopefully the results start coming our way."
For Bjorkstrand, the aim will be to keep the good vibes rolling. It's no secret it's been a trying season for the 23-year-old winger from Denmark, who had been a healthy scratch four times since his last goal Nov. 9 - and had just two assists in the nine games he did play in the meantime.
The relief was clear on Bjorkstrand's face after Tuesday's third-period goal, as he pumped his fist, skated to the corner, and sported a huge grin as teammates skated over in celebration.
"It's nice," he said of his third tally of the season. "Obviously it's been a little bit of a struggle this season, points-wise and so on. There's been times where I've had some good chances and they just haven't gone in. Seeing the puck go in, if you have 10, 20 goals or whatever, it's always nice. It gives you a boost. And I only have a few, so it helps you out."
He might get more of a chance to shine Thursday vs. Los Angeles. Josh Anderson is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and the big-bodied winger did not practice Wednesday after leaving the Canucks game when he went into the goal post head-first while driving toward the net.
Bjorkstrand moved up to take Anderson's spot on what has been an impactful line with Boone Jenner and Nick Foligno, and Tortorella said he will be back there Thursday if Anderson cannot play.
"He scores a goal that hopefully will help his confidence," Tortorella said. "He changes angles with shots. He's a deceptive shooter. He's a goal scorer. But a goal scorer also has to do some work, too. … You can see there's a little desperation in his game because he wants to stay in the lineup, so this (defensive effort) should be an everyday thing."
