Columbus @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 3, 2019 ) Winnipeg 5, Columbus 2

The Columbus Blue Jackets have won three games in a row entering Saturday’s contest at the Winnipeg Jets, and a very encouraging sign is forward Cam Atkinson breaking a 10-game goal drought. Atkinson, who scored 41 goals in 2018-19 and has at least 24 in four consecutive seasons, registered his fourth of the campaign on a power play in Thursday’s 5-4 comeback victory over Detroit, and added an assist to give him his first multi-point game in 2019-20.

“I was pretty embarrassed at how I’ve been playing recently,” Atkinson told reporters postgame. “I took a pretty hard look in the mirror at what makes me successful as a player, and I think I took strides in that direction.” The Blue Jackets open a three-game homestand Monday but first travel to Winnipeg, where the Jets return home after ending a 3-1-0 road trip with a 5-3 loss Thursday at Dallas. The Jets rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the contest on defenseman Luca Sbisa’s goal with 4:46 remaining, only to give up the game-winning tally 25 seconds later. “Haven’t quit in a game all year,” Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice told the media afterward. “It doesn’t always go the way you want it to go, but I’m really proud of that.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Columbus), Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet West (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (9-8-4): The Blue Jackets scored twice on the power play Thursday and are 4-for-10 with the man advantage during their winning streak, after going 5-for-50 in the previous 15 games. Center Boone Jenner has scored in back-to-back games, his goal in the third period giving Columbus the lead for keeps after forward Oliver Bjorkstrand’s power-play goal 1:03 earlier. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopped 22-of-26 shots against Detroit to win his third straight, and in his past five games he is 4-1-0 with a .908 save percentage.

ABOUT THE JETS (13-9-1): Center Mark Scheifele picked up his team-leading 22nd point in the second period with an assist on Kyle Connor’s goal, finishing the road trip with five points (four assists). Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck lost for only the second time in his past six games, recording 31 saves Thursday to give him a .923 save percentage in that span and a .928 save percentage for the season (fifth in the NHL). Winnipeg’s penalty kill continues to improve, allowing only two goals on 18 attempts in the past eight games.

OVERTIME

1. Sbisa scored his first goal since Feb. 21, 2018 with Vegas, giving the veteran 19 career goals in 515 career games.

2. The Blue Jackets allowed their league-leading fifth shorthanded goal in the second period Thursday.

3. Columbus has played an NHL-leading 14 one-goal games, going 8-2-4.

PREDICTION: Jets 4, Blue Jackets 2