Atkinson scores in OT as Blue Jackets edge Bruins for 8th straight win

[March 20, 2018]  Cam Atkinson scored the game-winning goal with 2:05 remaining in overtime to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets back from two goals down to beat the Boston Bruins 5-4 on Monday night in Boston.

Artemi Panarin netted his team-leading 22nd goal and Thomas Vanek (20 goals), Sonny Milano (12) and Boone Jenner (11) each had a goal for Columbus. Joonas Korpisalo recorded 34 saves as the Blue Jackets won their season-high eighth straight game.

Brad Marchand scored his team-leading 31st goal while David Krejci (17), Riley Nash (15) and Ryan Donato (1) also scored for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask made 20 saves as the Bruins failed to build off of Saturday's 3-0 win at Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay.

Jenner scored for the fourth straight game and stretched his personal points streak to a career-high six games when he one-timed a pass from Vanek past Rask with 15:45 remaining in the first period.

Donato's first career goal in his NHL debut tied it at 1 with 14:19 to play in the second. The former Harvard star who signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Bruins on Sunday fired a one-timer past Korpisalo off a feed from Torey Krug. He also had two assists in the contest.

Marchand gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead when he flipped a backhanded shot over Korpisalo with 12:32 left in the second. Nash stretched the lead to 3-1 when he popped in a rebound with 3:28 to go in the period.

Milano's backdoor tip snapped the Blue Jackets' drought to make it 3-2 just 25 seconds later.

Vanek redirected Markus Nutivaara's slap shot past Rask with 14:22 left in the third to tie it.

 

 Blue Jackets right wing Cam Atkinson (13) celebrates his winning overtime goal with center Alexander Wennberg (10) and defenseman Ryan Murray (27) against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Panarin's goal with 8:30 left on the clock gave Columbus a brief 4-3 lead, but Krejci struck 20 seconds later to knot the score once more.

Rick Nash was out for the Bruins with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Boston's Patrice Bergeron (fractured right foot) missed his 11th straight game, Charlie McAvoy (sprained left MCL) missed his eighth and Zdeno Chara (upper body) his third. David Backes, who left Saturday's game with a right leg laceration, also sat out for Boston.

Josh Anderson (knee) missed his 10th game in a row while Seth Jones (upper body) sat out his second straight for the Blue Jackets.

Columbus wraps up its two-game road trip Tuesday against the New York Rangers. Boston opens a three-game trip Wednesday in St. Louis.

--Field Level Media

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