Atkinson scores in OT to lift Blue Jackets over Hurricanes

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cam Atkinson scored 3:28 into overtime to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Thursday night.

Atkinson tapped in a pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois to give the Blue Jackets a second straight win in a fourth consecutive overtime game.

The Blue Jackets scored twice in the second period to tie the score. Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the third, setting up Atkinson’s heroics in extra time.

Joonas Korpisalo stopped 21 shots and Ryan Murray had a goal — his first in 50 games dating to last season — and an assist for Columbus, which extended its point streak to a half dozen games. The Blue Jackets are 3-0-2 in their past six since a 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 11.

Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Dzingel and Sebastian Aho scored in the first period, and Petr Mrazek had 27 saves for Carolina, which has lost three straight.

The rookie Texier got his second of the year when he rocketed in a slap shot from the right circle off a cross-ice pass from Emil Bemstrom 3:21 into the game.

Columbus’ momentum disappeared 72 seconds later when Hamilton beat Korpisalo to make it 1-1.

The Hurricanes got two quick ones later in the first period. Dzingel tapped in from the doorstep in a series that started when Murray broke his stick trying to clear the puck. Then, 51 seconds later, Aho redirected Brett Pesce shot for a 3-1 Carolina lead.

Murray snapped a shot past Mrazek’s glove to make it a one-goal game again with 7:03 left in the second period. It was Murray’s first goal in 50 games dating to last season. Milano got a pretty goal when took a bank pass from David Savard, drove in and backhanded the puck over Mrazek’s pad to tie the score again late in the second.

NOTES: Columbus D Scott Harrington replaced Markus Nutivaara, who was injured in Monday night’s game. … Dzingel played at Columbus for the first time since leaving the Blue Jackets and signing with the Hurricanes last summer. … Columbus outshot Carolina 15-3 in the second period. … Dubois has six points in his past eight games.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: Host Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

Blue Jackets: At Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.