Atkinson gets hat trick, Blue Jackets beat Canadiens 5-2

Monday, 01.25.2016 / 10:15 PM The Canadian Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Cam Atkinson had his third-career hat trick and Brandon Saad scored twice to help the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the struggling Montreal Canadiens 5-2 on Monday night to end a three-game losing streak.

Atkinson's linemates Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner each had three assists and rookie Joonas Korpisalo turned aside 32 shots.

Montreal's P.K. Subban tied it 2-2 midway through the second, but Columbus scored three goals in the third, including a go-ahead score from Saad 9:06 into the period.

Subban and Brendan Gallagher each had a goal and an assist and Mike Condon made 20 saves for Montreal, which hasn't won consecutive games since late November.

Columbus played a second straight game without coach John Tortorella after he broke two ribs falling after a collision with a player at practice Friday.

Montreal is 7-17-2 since last season's Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price suffered a lower-body injury on Nov. 25. It was 17-4-2 when Price went down, and the goalie is expected to miss another three weeks.

Saad made it 3-2 by driving in a loose puck that caromed to him off Jeff Petry's skate.

Max Pacioretty nearly got the goal right back by bullying his way to the net, but Korpisalo turned the close-range shot aside.

Saad scored his 18th into an empty net at 18:48, and Atkinson finished a tic-tac-toe passing combination with Dubinsky and Jenner at 19:35 to score his 16th.

Gallagher benefited from two fortuitous deflections on a 5-on-3 power play to give Montreal a 1-0 lead at 10:39 of the first period. His pass banked off Gregory Campbell's stick and Jack Johnson's glove before going in.

Four minutes later, more ping-pong puck action proved lucky, this time for Columbus. The puck eventually came to Dubinsky and he made a short touch pass to Atkinson, who scored on a one-timer from the low slot.

Atkinson made it 2-1 at 2:52 of the second period, circling out of the left corner and netting a backhander inside the near post.

Subban drew Montreal even on what initially looked like an innocent play. Pulling his stick back a stride inside the centre red line, Subban rifled a high shot that made its way past a surprised Korpisalo at 8:36.

NOTES: The teams play in Montreal on Tuesday night. ... The Blue Jackets snapped a four-game losing streak to the Canadiens. ... Pacioretty remained one of only two players (along with Vancouver LW Daniel Sedin) in the league with at least one shot on goal in every game. He had the game's first one just 52 seconds in on a semi-breakaway. ... Saad is Columbus' lone All-Star Game representative and leads the club in goals. ... LW Daniel Carr was injured in the second period and did not return. ... Markov's assist on Subban's goal was his 406th to tie him with Guy Lapointe for 10th career in franchise history.

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