Atkinson, 29, tallied 5-3-8 with 14 shots on goal, a +6 plus/minus rating and three multi-point games in leading the Blue Jackets to a 3-0-0 record this week, extending the club's regulation unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2). On Nov. 12, he collected 1-1-2, including an assist on the game-winning goal, with four shots and was +1 in a 2-1 win at Dallas. He followed that with 1-1-2, five shots and was +2 in a 7-3 win vs. Florida on Nov. 15, scoring a shorthanded goal that cut the Panthers' lead from 2-0 to 2-1. He wrapped up the week with 3-1-4, including the game-winner, five shots and was +3 in a 4-1 win at Carolina on Nov. 17. The game marked the fifth hat trick of his career, which ties Rick Nash for the most in franchise history.
HAT TRICK: Atkinson records hat trick, ties Nash atop record book
Atkinson has registered 12-8-20 in 19 games this season and leads the Jackets in goals, ranks second in points and is tied for the club lead in power play goals with four. The Riverside, Connecticut native has registered 157-136-293 and 124 penalty minutes in 466 career games with the Blue Jackets. He was the club's sixth-round pick, 157th overall, in the 2008 NHL Draft.
