WASHINGTON _ They came into Capital One Arena on Monday night saddled with a four-game losing streak, season-worst scoring slump and a long road back to playoff contention.
The Blue Jackets also had a game against the Washington Capitals, who are running away with the Metropolitan Division and with six players who would all be leading the Jackets in scoring. The Jackets faced a huge challenge in nearly every aspect, but they didn't really care all that much.
"It's a team that is coming in here, which is very inconsistent (and) having problems scoring goals against a team that's dead on their game (the Capitals), best in the National Hockey League," coach John Tortorella said at the morning skate. "Perfect matchup. Perfect."
Cleary, as the Blue Jackets showed with an impressive 5-2 victory that was further evidence for why their struggles are so frustrating. The Jackets have what it takes to play with the league's top teams, and beat them, but they haven't done it nearly enough.
This time they did, ending the Capitals' six-game winning streak and handing them just their fifth regulation loss in 32 games (22-5-5).
"It's huge," said Cam Atkinson, who led the way offensively with two goals. "We just wanted to start good, start good in this building. If they come out buzzing and score one, they have all the momentum and the crowd's into it. I thought we did a good job of staying on the attack right from the get go."
Perhaps this will finally be the spark that ignites the hot streak the Blue Jackets (12-14-4) desperately need, a victory they finished off led by goalie Joonas Korpisalo's 37 saves and additional goals by Ryan Murray, Riley Nash and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
This was exactly how the Jackets went into this season planning to win. They were a forechecking machine. They stayed above the puck most of the way, limiting odd-man rush attempts. They got two goals, by Murray and Nash, that were generated by their fourth line and they leaned on Korpisalo.
Atkinson started, cutting hard to the net to tip Gustav Nyquist's shot past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby at 3:27 of the first for a 1-0 lead. Murray Made it 2-0 at 6:52 of the second, snapping a shot into the top right corner off a feed by rookie Eric Robinson.
Korpisalo then came up with several huge saves late in the second during back-to-back penalty kills before Ovechkin beat him 40 seconds into the third. Nash and Bjorkstrand countered that goal to make it 4-1 and Atkinson scored his second into an empty net to seal it.
