Labatt What We Learned: CBJ 6, NYI 2

It's no longer a hopeful feeling for the Blue Jackets: they believe that, no matter the circumstance, they can win a game in the third period.
And they added another line to their resume tonight.
Locked in a 2-2 game against the NHL's hottest team with 20 minutes to play, the Blue Jackets put together a dominant third period to pull away from the New York Islanders in a 6-2 win at Nationwide Arena. With the victory, Columbus improved to 17-5-4 (38 points), the fourth-most points in the NHL with the fewest number of games played.

Not only was it a big win in a difficult game on the second night of a back-to-back (against a rested Islanders team), the Blue Jackets built some momentum before they depart for a week-long trip through western Canada this week.
Columbus improved to 4-0-0 within the Metropolitan Division, getting its sixth consecutive win overall to continue the best start in franchise history.
"It's hoping vs. almost a mindset of knowing (you can win)," head coach John Tortorella said of his team's third period play. "With the success we've had, it just builds layers on you."

Here's what we learned:
Hang in there: The Islanders were in Columbus last night, waiting on the Blue Jackets to return home from their game against the Red Wings. Tortorella and the players felt they were out-played in their 4-1 win over Detroit, but goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky did tremendous work to pull them through some tough stretches. Tonight, they surrendered the first goal on a fluky deflection but did not blink; they responded with a power play goal and persisted through the rest of the game. The first 30 minutes were not their best, but they gathered themselves for the final 20 minutes and made the most of it.
"Sometimes, people want to ask 'why' or 'what's causing the success' but there doesn't always have to be one reason," defenseman Jack Johnson told BlueJackets.com. "There were some ups and downs in the game, but we didn't panic and I think that's been a strong point for our team. You saw that tonight with how we responded."
Unsung hero:Tortorella has singled out Johnson a few times this season, and for good reason. The 29-year-old is the Blue Jackets' wily veteran on the back end, but even as one of the team's leaders, he doesn't need to say much to the younger defensemen - Tortorella said all they need to do is watch Johnson. He has teamed with David Savard to give Columbus a solid, reliable second pairing and one that's not only defended well, but has also driven play at even strength. Johnson was rewarded on the offensive end tonight, scoring the Blue Jackets' first goal on the power play and setting up Cam Atkinson's breakaway goal in the second period with a pinpoint stretch pass right up the gut of the ice.
"As you can, tell, I could talk about (Johnson) all night long, because no one talks about him," Tortorella said. "When a defenseman goes unnoticed, he's doing his job. Great transition pass, he scored goal. He and Savy have arrived as a pair that have been our most consistent pair of late."

Keep on building: When asked to describe his team's identity, Tortorella would only let on that he thinks the Blue Jackets are a "concentrating team," meaning they have a razor-sharp focus on the day-to-day level he's talked about so many times. They needed to do just that in the third period tonight, and despite a failed power play early in the third period, the Blue Jackets got a lead and continued to play. They refused to be satisfied with a 3-2 lead - especially against these Islanders - so they scored a fourth, a fifth and a sixth.
"The third period, we came on like we usually do," Atkinson said. "Our mindset is whether we're down by a goal or up by a goal, that we're still trying to press and get the next goal. It was a great win."