Pro Sports

Atkinson's 2nd goal lifts Blue Jackets past Senators in OT

Posted January 22, 2017 6:00 am

The Associated Press

Columbus Blue Jackets' Cam Atkinson (13) celebrates his overtime goal with teammates Brandon Dubinsky (17) and Zach Werenski (8) during NHL hockey action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - Cam Atkinson made the right read, and it paid off with the winning goal.

Atkinson's second goal of the game at 1:09 of overtime gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 7-6 win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.

The 27-year-old winger found himself on a breakaway after a shot by Senators captain Erik Karlsson missed the Columbus net and went around the boards out to Atkinson, who was at center-ice. Atkinson deked Mike Condon and slid the puck past the sprawled goaltender on the forehand to earn his team the two points.

"I was anticipating when he was about to shoot it and luckily he just missed the net and I got a breakaway and I just went to my go-to," Atkinson said. "I thought we played pretty well and it was a good win."

The Blue Jackets trailed 5-3 after two periods before Lukas Sedlak and Matt Calvert scored 31 seconds apart to tie it less than 2 1/2 minutes into the third.

"We wanted to respond in the third as fast as possible and although it wasn't exactly how we drew it up it was a good gut check by our team," said Columbus' Scott Harrington, who had a goal and an assist.

Atklnson then gave Columbus a 6-5 lead with 9:10 remaining as his shot was deflected up in the air and Senators goalie Mike Condon tried to catch it above his head but the puck hit his glove and went in the goal.

"It was a tough goal, but those things happen. It was a routine play and (the puck) just got tipped up in the air and I made a mistake. It happens," Condon said.

Kyle Turris then tied it for Ottawa on the power play less than 2 minutes later.

Nick Foligno, Scott Harrington and Zach Werenski also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Joonas Korpisalo finished with 28 saves.

Zach Smith and Mike Hoffman each had two goals and Mark Stone also scored for the Senators. Mike Condon had 22 saves.

The teams combined for three goals and three penalties over the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game.

Smith put Ottawa up 1-0 when he banked a shot off Korpisalo's pad and in at 42 seconds.

Just 34 seconds later, and only 12 seconds after Cody Ceci took a hooking penalty, Foligno tied the game as he tipped a pass by Alex Wennberg in behind Condon.

Smith scored his second of the game at 5:33 on a redirection. Curtis Lazar picked up the second assist giving him his first point of the season in his 25th game.

"That was different and I think a bit of that has to do with both teams having a bit of a busy schedule and playing back-to-back games and I think the mental fatigue kicks in," Smith said of the fire-wagon type hockey that was played. "There's a few more missed assignments and mental errors. Neither team can use that as an excuse because they're both in the same boat, but realistically that's part of it."

After a bit of a lull, Harrington scored his first goal of the season when his point shot eluded Condon at 10:18 and tied it 2-2.

Harrington, from nearby Kingston, Ontario, said his parents were among the family and friends in the crowd to witness it.

"It worked out well I guess," he said. "Hometown is only about two hours from here so I've got some cousins here, my sister lives here and family friends as well, so it worked out well."

The second period wasn't as explosive to start as the first, but there was an opening-minute penalty to the Senators and a power-play goal by Werenski at 56 seconds to give the Blue Jackets a 3-2 lead.

The Senators scored three times to take a 5-3 lead by the end of the period. Hoffman and Stone scored 2:27 apart to put Ottawa ahead with 6:52 to go, and Hoffman made it a two-goal game with 17 seconds left.

NOTES: Casey Bailey and Mark Boroweicki were scratches for the Senators. ... Marcus Hannikainen, David Savard and Markus Nitivaara were scratches for the Blue Jackets. ... Senators F Turris played in his 500th NHL game and became the 1,505th player in league history to reach that milestone.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: At the New York Islanders on Tuesday night in the second of five straight road games.

Senators: Host Washington on Tuesday night in the middle game of a three-game homestand.

Columbus Blue Jackets' Cam Atkinson (13) celebrates his overtime goal with teammate Brandon Dubinsky (17) as Ottawa Senators goaltender Mike Condon (1) looks on during NHL hockey action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Ottawa Senators' Mark Stone (61) celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate Zack Smith (15) during second period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Ottawa Senators' Mike Hoffman (68) celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate Marc Methot (3) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Ottawa Senators' Mark Stone, right, celebrates his goal along with teammates Zack Smith (15) and Derick Brassard (19) as Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) and defenseman Dalton Prout (47) look on during second period NHL hockey action in Ottawa on, Sunday Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Ottawa Senators' Curtis Lazar (27) dives for the puck as Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski (8) reacts during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Columbus Blue Jackets' Scott Harrington (54) celebrates his goal with teammates Dalton Prout (47), Alexander Wennberg (10) and Nick Foligno (71) against the Ottawa Senators, during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Columbus Blue Jackets' Nick Foligno (71) celebrates his goal with teammate Alexander Wennberg (10) as Ottawa Senators goaltender Mike Condon (1) looks on during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Ottawa Senators' Zack Smith (15) celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate Derick Brassard (19) during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Ottawa Senators' Zack Smith (15) celebrates his goal on Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Ottawa Senators' Zack Smith (15) scores on Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) as Blue Jackets' Jack Johnson (7) looks on during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Columbus Blue Jackets' Sergei Bobrovsky, right, of Russia, makes a save against Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets beat the Hurricanes 3-2. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) The Associated Press

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