Well, that was a weird one.
The Blue Jackets thoroughly dominated the game through the first two periods – generating roughly 80% of the game's shot attempts – but the Senators limited the damage and scored two goals of their own in that span, turning what had been a dominant performance into a one-period game.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| SENATORS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Luckily for the Jackets, they started capitalizing on their chances in the third, as they took this one by a final of 5-2.
Cam Atkinson ripped a shot from the left circle past Craig Anderson to put the Jackets up 3-2 in the third period, and they didn't look back. Foligno's goal was just a few minutes later and came from the same part of the ice during a 2-on-1 rush.
Chili! pic.twitter.com/lMuZ5U5985
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 25, 2017
It was Atkinson's second goal of the game – his first was a true hustle play, a breakaway he created and converted with a beautiful deke. That's the kind of performance that the Blue Jackets were hoping for after inking him to a seven-year deal.
Created and finished his own breakaway.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 25, 2017
Good stuff from Cam Atkinson. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/X0Cdp2HECy
Markus Nutivaara scored his first goal of the season as well, and Tyler Motte cashed in on an empty-netter. The Jackets will maintain their first-place position in the Metropolitan Division for another night.
Injury Update
More good news for the Jackets, as both Alexander Wennberg and Matt Calvert took part in today's optional skate – in full gear – per FS-Ohio. Lukas Sedlak played his first game back from injury on Wednesday, and saw more ice time tonight as he returns to form.
Next Up
The Jackets can enjoy whatever Thanksgiving leftovers they still have tomorrow and Sunday, as they're not back in action until Monday. They'll head up to Quebec to play the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, and head home for a matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes the next day.
