Atkinson, Blue Jackets rally past Hurricanes in OT

COLUMBUS -- Cam Atkinson scored at 3:28 of overtime to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at Nationwide Arena on Thursday and extend their point streak to six games.

Atkinson scored at the right post on a pass across the goal mouth by Pierre-Luc Dubois.
"I was going as fast as I can to the back post. I think he saw me," Atkinson said of Dubois. "I think I was calling for it, but I think I blacked out at the same time, but it was a heck] of a play, a [heck] of pass."
***[WATCH: [All Hurricanes vs. Blue Jackets highlights]*
Ryan Murray had a goal and an assist, Alexandre Texier and Sonny Milano scored, and David Savard had two assists for the Blue Jackets (5-3-2). Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves.

Columbus is 4-0-2 in its past six games. The Blue Jackets have played four straight games decided in overtime, winning the past two, and eight consecutive one-goal games (5-1-2).
Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Dzingel and Sebastian Aho scored, and Petr Mrazek made 27 saves for the Hurricanes (6-3-1), who have lost three straight.

"Tonight we certainly didn't look like the team we're trying to be," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "That's a little bit worrisome."
The Hurricanes had a 3-1 lead after the first period but lost for the fourth time in five games (1-4-0) after a 5-0-0 start.
"We came out, we played hard at the start, and we just fell right off in the second [period] for whatever reason," Brind'Amour said after Carolina was outshot 15-3 in the period. "Give them credit, they played a real strong second period. We were just not sharp. We kind of battled back in the third, made it look like a game. Certainly not good enough."
Texier gave Columbus a 1-0 lead at 3:21 of the first period when he scored off a cross-ice pass by Emil Bemstrom to complete a 4-on-1.

Texier said he did not call for the puck, but Bemstrom found him in the right face-off circle anyway.
"I was wide open," Texier said. "He's a good, skilled guy who can make some plays, so he knows."
Hamilton tied it 1-1 at 4:32 after he took a drop pass from Warren Foegele and snapped a shot from the top of the right circle.
Dzingel, who played 21 games for the Blue Jackets last season before signing with the Hurricanes as a free agent July 12, made it 2-1 at 11:43.
After Murray's stick broke in the Columbus zone, Carolina forward Martin Necas gathered the puck, skated through the slot and passed to Dzingel. He slid around the defense and Korpisalo before shooting into the open net.
"We had a great first period," Dzingel said. "We were buzzing, playing our kind of hockey, and in the second period we were on heels and that's what killed us."
Aho extended the lead to 3-1 at 12:32 when he tipped a Brett Pesce shot.
Murray made it 3-2 with a snap shot at 12:57 of the second period.

Milano tied it 3-3 with a forehand-to-backhand scoop that went off Mrazek with 2:37 left in the second.
"It was another opportunity presented to us as far as not blowing up starting that second period," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "We need to stay patient, not try to score. We just need to stay above the puck. It's such a fast team over there.
"So we kept our patience, played above the puck and probably played, out of all the minutes we've put in this year, probably the fastest we've played as far as our transition."

They said it

"We were gassed. We didn't have a lot of juice. We were just looking for guys who were fresh." -- Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour on overtime
"We're in every game. We're getting points every game. Whether we get one or two, these points are crucial come April." -- Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson

Need to know

The Hurricanes played seven defensemen and 11 forwards. … Hamilton has three points (two goals, assist) in his past three games. … Murray's goal was his first in 50 games since Nov. 6, 2018, against the Dallas Stars. … Forward Nick Foligno played his 500th game for the Blue Jackets and his 851st in the NHL.

What's next

Hurricanes: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; FS-CR, NBCSCH, NHL.TV)
Blue Jackets: At the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, FS-O, NHL.TV)