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Vancouver Canucks’ centre Henrik Sedin, left, celebrates a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate Nolan Baumgartner during the first period Friday in Columbus, Ohio. (Jay LaPrete/Associated Press)

On the TV in the Vancouver dressing room, the opening ceremonies of their hometown Olympics were taking place.

Mikael Samuelsson glanced occasionally at the images as he tried to clarify one of the weirdest goals imaginable.

Samuelsson scored on a bone idle, deflected popup that wafted over goalie Steve Mason’s head, capping the Canucks’ comeback from a two-goal deficit to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Friday night.

“I don’t know what to say,” Samuelsson said, a slight smile creasing the corners of his mouth. “It was obviously a lucky one. Everybody saw that.”

Samuelsson took a small pass from Ryan Kesler, who played college hockey at nearby Ohio State, and attempted a one-timer from the high slot eight minutes into the final period.

Columbus forward Derick Brassard got a stick on the puck at nearly the same time as Samuelsson followed through, the puck squirting up into the air and slowly drifting like a small chip shot, dropping just behind a befuddled Mason and barely skidding over the goal line.

“We missed a few empty nets in the second, so we were probably due to get a break,” Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. “We did get a break, and then [goalie Andrew] Raycroft shut them down.”

With Columbus ahead 3-2 going into the third period, Sami Salo tied it on a power-play goal. Henrik Sedin’s pass from the left corner found Salo by himself between the circles. He had time to settle the puck and tee it up before firing a hard shot over sliding defenceman Jan Hejda and in off the right post at 4:31.

“I saw that they had four guys in the corner,” Salo said. “I found a spot kind of in the slot. I was hoping for our forwards to win that battle in the corner and that’s what we did. Henrik laid a pass to me and I just tried to shoot it shortside. It happened to go off the post and in.”

Nolan Baumgartner and Kyle Wellwood also scored for the Canucks, playing their seventh game on the longest road trip (14 games) in NHL history. Before it is over they will have gone 42 days between home games, spanning the league’s Olympic break.

The win was the 100th of Raycroft’s career (100-100-26) as he spelled starter Roberto Luongo.

“When the game was on the line in the third period, he did what a goaltender is supposed to and he gave us a chance to win,” Vigneault said.

Rick Nash, Jared Boll and Raffi Torres had goals for Columbus, which failed in its attempt to win a fourth game in a row for the first time this season.

“The [fourth] goal scored on Mason was a lucky goal,” Torres said.

It took just 2:38 to register the first three goals, then nine seconds in the second period separated two more.

Only 22 seconds in, Nash coasted down the left wing, swivelled to screen the puck behind defenceman Alexander Edler and then snapped a shot inside the far post.

The Canucks countered less than two minutes later when Alex Burrows found Baumgarter all alone for a one-timer at the bottom of the left circle. It was his first NHL goal in four years, the last also coming against Columbus, and only his seventh in 138 career games.

Just 30 seconds later, Boll was able to get a stick on a rebound and punched it past Raycroft as he backed into the net.

The Blue Jackets went up 3-1 on Torres’ one-timer off a bouncing pass from Jake Voracek. Before that could be announced, Mason mishandled a puck behind his own goal that led to Wellwood’s goal from the slot while Mason lay on the ice.

“We handled the adversity well,” said Columbus interim coach Claude Noel, who lost for the first time after three victories since taking over for the fired Ken Hitchcock on Feb. 3. “We were excellent. I thought we were patient. Their fourth goal … would have sent anyone over the deep end.”

Flag-bearer Clara Hughes, right, leads Canada’s Olympic team into B.C. Place during the opening ceremony on Friday night. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Cheers rocked BC Place Stadium as flag-bearer Clara Hughes’ bright smile led the Canadian contingent at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver on Friday night.

Canada’s Governor General, prime minister, and 60,000 fans who packed the arena — all rose to celebrate the host nation.

And perhaps, the sombre spirit of the Olympics rose, too.

The colourful ceremony was staged against a backdrop of tragedy. Hours earlier, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a horrible training accident at Whistler.

Wearing black hats, scarves and armbands, the seven grieving athletes of the Georgian Olympic team marched in to a standing ovation.

They were led by downhill skier Iason Abramashvili, who carried a black-trimmed flag.

The opening ceremony welcoming about 2,500 athletes representing 82 nations — was dedicated to Kumaritashvili.

Jumping through rings

The celebration opened with a snowboarder jumping through Olympic rings at BC Place Stadium.

“Welcome to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games,” the snowboarder announced to a cheering crowd.

With dignitaries including Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge looking on, native dancers in traditional garb sang and danced as the athletes paraded into the arena.

As usual, Greece, led the way with athletes waving their blue and white stripes proudly, honoured as the inaugural Olympic hosts.

Albania, Algeria, Andorra followed — and the parade continued.

A solitary athlete from Colombia carried his nation’s flag to its first Winter Olympics. Later, Ethiopia’s four athletes waved the red, yellow, and green flag ahead of Finland.

The celebration continues, with the mystery of which fantastic Canadian, or Canadians, will light the cauldron left to be revealed.

Rows of police prevent anti-Olympic protesters from getting within 200 metres of BC Place, site of the opening ceremonies Friday night. (CBC)

Anti-Olympic protesters surged briefly against police lines in downtown Vancouver on Friday night as the marchers tried to approach BC Place, where opening ceremonies for the 2010 Games were underway.

The 125 police officers assembled in two rows, along with six officers on horseback, managed to hold the crowd of about 600 people back.

Protesters got as far as the corner of Robson and Beatty streets before being stopped at the police lines, about 200 metres from BC Place stadium.

No injuries or arrests were reported.

The protesters rallied outside the Vancouver Art Gallery at 3 p.m. before starting their seven-block walk to the stadium. They marched along West Georgia Street to Homer Street, where they turned south then east on Robson toward BC Place, where the ceremonies started at 6 p.m. local time.

Placards carried by the demonstrators suggested many disagreed with spending taxpayer money on the Games instead of targeting social problems.

Anti-Olympic protesters march along Robson Street in downtown Vancouver on Friday as the opening ceremonies were set to start. (CBC)

Organizers said they wanted the protest to remain peaceful.

About 200 protesters forced organizers to reroute the Olympic torch relay twice early Friday as the runners made their way through the Downtown Eastside.