Blue Jackets 5 Predators 2 (NHL)

[swamprat]

Columbus won their 4th in a row and maintained their current hold on the last playoff spot in Nashville, last night. Cam Atkinson tied the franchise record for most goals in a season and Artemi Panarin broke his own franchise record for most points in a year with 4 assists in the game.

 

Atkinson got things going 50 seconds into the game with a wrist shot from inside the right circle. Victor Arvidsson stole the puck from Josh Anderson during a Columbus power play creating a wide open breakaway that Bobrovsky was helpless to stop. The shorthanded goal tied the score at 1. David Savard poked one by Rinne to give the Jackets back the lead and Pararin picked up his 3rd assist with a beautiful pass to Oliver Bjorkstrand who punched it in to give the Jackets a 3-1 lead after one period.

 

In the second period, Filip Forsberg scored off a rebound of a shot from Craig Smith to cut the lead to 3-2. However, a little over a minute later, Donte Fabbro, playing in his very first NHL game, fumbled the puck and fell down, leaving Boone Jenner uncontested on a breakaway score and a Blue Jacket 4-2 lead. Then Cam picked up his second goal of the game off a rebound of a Matt Duchene shot and Columbus led 5-2 after 2.

 

The Preds were held in check in the third and despite 4 penalties in the period by Nashville, three of them on P.K. Subban, the Jackets were unable to add to their lead.

 

Great win on the road. Montreal and Carolina both won, so there is no change of the Wild Card standings in the East. The Jackets and Canes have 4 games left. The Canadians have 3.

 

Winnipeg lost, so the loss did not hurt Nashville in that regard, but the Blues are only 2 points back of the the Jets and Preds, now. Nashville is on the short end of the stick, in this situation, having only 3 games left. The Jets and the Blues have 4 each to go.