It's been a memorable season for No. 13.
If there is such thing as an under-the-radar 20-goal scorer in the NHL, Cam Atkinson might be the best example.
Year after year, he increases his scoring output and you hardly hear anyone talk about him. Deservedly so, the relative silence around Atkinson dissipated this season as he has been an integral part of the Blue Jackets' impressive campaign and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.
There have been plenty of highlights this season for Atkinson (and his team), but the latest came Tuesday night in a 2-0 win over New Jersey. The Blue Jackets bumped their record to 42-17-6 and Atkinson scored an empty-net goal with 1:16 to play -- his 30th goal of the season -- reaching the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his NHL career.
Eight players (as of Thursday) had scored 30 goals in the NHL this season, and it's heady company for Atkinson: Sidney Crosby leads the pack with 34 goals, followed by Patrik Laine with 32, Max Pacioretty, Evgeni Malkin and Auston Matthews with 31, and Atkinson is one of three players (Brad Marchand and Jeff Carter the others) to hit 30.
And because we're suckers for nostalgia, here's a look back to the first goal of Atkinson's career, scored against then-Canucks goalie Cory Schneider (a fellow Boston College Eagle) on Oct. 10, 2011.
