After a 16-day Olympic break, the NHL returned to Nationwide Arena last night.

Nothing operated smoothly. Several synchronized skaters, performing during the first intermission, stumbled and fell to the ice. The IGS Energy Blimp, which floats through the arena distributing prizes, gently landed among the spectators after the second period.

As for the Blue Jackets, they had kinks to work out, as well.

They built a two-goal, first-period lead but committed too many mistakes in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks tied it with 5:19 remaining as defenseman Grant Clitsome, making his NHL debut, turned over a puck that led to a Kyle Wellwood tap-in goal. Vancouver won it at 1:33 of overtime when defenseman Christian Ehrhoff retrieved a puck off the endboards and stuffed it past goaltender Steve Mason.

"We looked rusty in some areas," Jackets interim coach Claude Noel said. "It looked like we hadn't played in two weeks. I saw it being a real adjustment period for our players and their players, too."

The Jackets looked especially out of synch on the power play, where they failed to convert on all six opportunities. They also were missing several regulars.

Center Derick Brassard sat out because of an upper body injury, the same one that apparently troubled him in the Feb.14 game against Chicago. Defenseman Milan Jurcina, subject of trade rumors, also didn't dress.

Still, the Jackets managed to take a 2-0 lead on goals by Andrew Murray and Antoine Vermette. Clitsome, recalled from minor-league Syracuse, assisted on both goals.

"I was nervous and excited all night," Clitsome said. "It was a dream come true."

But the two-goal lead came against the run of play, as the Jackets were out-shot and out-chanced in the first period. Strangely, they turned it around in the second period, taking the game to Vancouver, only to see the Canucks tie it on goals by Alex Burrows and Pavol Demitra.

The Canucks also rallied from a two-goal, two-period deficit on their last trip to Nationwide, a 4-3 win on Feb.12.

"When you get that much time off, you are going to have some sloppy play," forward Derek Dorsett said. "There was no flow or rhythm to the game."

Elevated to the second line in the absence of Brassard, Dorsett played center between Raffi Torres and Jake Voracek. The forwards combined to put the Jackets back in front 3-2 with 4:39 left in the second period. Torres and Dorsett entered the Canucks' zone on a 2-on-1. Torres froze goaltender Andrew Raycroft with a fake shot before slipping the puck to Dorsett for a tap-in.

"Just an unbelievable pass," Dorsett said.

But the Jackets could not extend the lead despite several great chances by Rick Nash and Sammy Pahlsson. The Canucks tied again when Mason Raymond picked off Clitsome's backhand clearing attempt and fed a wide-open Wellwood.

"I shouldn't be going up the wall on my backhand," said Clitsome, who otherwise played a strong game. "I've got to make a stronger play."

He was hardly the only one making bad plays. Defenseman Anton Stralman lost a puck battle in the Jackets' zone, leading to the winning goal. Ryan Kesler tipped a shot wide of the net, but Ehrhoff calmly corralled the carom to the left of Mason and stuffed the puck into the net.

The Jackets lost for a league-high ninth time when taking a lead into the third period.

treed@dispatch.com