The Columbus Blue Jackets stayed hot thanks to a big night from rookie centre Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Dubois had his first career hat trick and the Blue Jackets beat the Calgary Flames 5-1 on Thursday night.
”We have a lot of experience in this room and I’m lucky enough to play with guys like (Artemi Panarin) and Cam (Atkinson)
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Columbus earned its sixth straight road victory and 12th win in its past 13 games, and moved past the Philadelphia Flyers and into third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Blue Jackets are one point back of the second place Pittsburgh Penguins.
”We can’t control what the other teams do but if we keep winning, I think we’ll put ourselves in a pretty good spot,” Dubois added.
Markus Hannikainen and Markus Nutivaara also scored for Columbus. Dubois’ linemates Artemi Panerin and Cam Atkinson each had two assists.
Chris Stewart scored for Calgary, ruining Sergei Bobrovky’s shutout bid with 22 seconds left in the game.
The Flames have lost seven straight games, being outscored 33-8 over that span.
”We’re feeling sorry for ourselves a little bit too much,” Flames veteran Matt Stajan said. ”These games are hard to play, but we’re in the NHL, we have to go after it a little bit better. We’re making way too many mistakes – turning pucks over, odd-man rushes – things that you lose hockey games because of.”
Columbus coach John Tortorella won his 128th game, moving him past Todd Richards into first on the club’s all-time list.
Because of an injury to Marcus Foligno (lower body), Dubois was re-united with Panarin and Atkinson on the top line in Edmonton on Tuesday and so far, so good. Dubois’ first multi-goal game came after the trio combined for two goals against the Oilers.
Making it 2-0 at 12:23 of the first period
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Dubois’ second, making it 3-0 at 3:55 of the second, came after a sensational end-to-end rush by Atkinson, who wove his way down the ice, eventually sliding a backhand pass into the slot that Dubois snapped just inside the post.
He capped off his memorable night with a power-play goal at 15:23 of the third.
Eighteen goals on the season is a team record for goals by a rookie, surpassing Rick Nash’s 17 in 2002-03. The 2016 fourth overall pick has 44 points on the season, three back of Zach Werenski’s record for points by a rookie, set last season.
Calgary outshot the Blue Jackets 38-28, but as has been the theme lately for the injury-riddled club missing its three top goal scorers, the Flames struggled to get one past Bobrovsky.
Among the stops for the NHL’s reigning Vezina Trophy winner was a sprawling stop of Micheal Ferland in the first period. Early in the second, Bobrovsky stabbed his glove to snare a dangerous shot from 15 feet from Nick Shore.
With Sean Monahan (wrist), Matthew Tkachuk (upper) and TJ Brodie (upper body) among the injured Flames, Calgary lost defenseman Travis Hamonic (upper body) after he was shaken up in a collision late in the first period.
NOTES: The Flames have called up Spencer Foo from Stockton (AHL). He will make his NHL debut on Saturday against Edmonton. … Johnny Gaudreau (family matter) missed his second game, but he will rejoin the team on Friday. … Blue Jackets’ Brandon Dubinsky (illness) left the game in the second period.
UP NEXT:
Blue Jackets: Travel to Vancouver on Saturday.
Flames: Host Edmonton on Saturday night.
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Klay Thompson flashed back to a night he left the arena still in uniform
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It used to be he struggled to shake off a bad night, or even a bad start to a game.
Now, he just keeps shooting. Whenever he feels like it, from wherever. No conscience. A hand or two in his face, no matter.
”I was not always like this. I used to be so hard on myself, especially early in my career,” Thompson said. ”… I learned, as I get older, if you play with passion, you play hard, and you leave the game saying I gave everything I have tonight in those 48 minutes, you can live with the result.”
The Warriors‘ season lives on largely thanks to Thompson’s shooting touch. Golden State is one win from a fourth straight NBA Finals, headed back to Houston for Monday night’s Game 7.
He came through with the defending champions’ season on the line in another do-or-die Game 6, just as he did two years ago at Oklahoma City. This time he scored 35 points with nine 3-pointers as the Warriors rallied with a huge second half to beat the Rockets 115-86 on Saturday night to force a deciding game in the Western Conference finals.
His defense shined
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Thompson has long been content to be the understated All-Star among the four in Golden State’s starting lineup.
”I just wanted to play with as much passion as I could tonight. Probably sounded more vocal than I usually am,” Thompson acknowledged. ”When your back’s against the wall, if your shot’s not falling, you can always control your passion and how hard you play. Usually when I do that, it trickles over to other aspects of my game.”
Curry’s Splash Brother did it in 2016 when he scored 41 points against Durant’s former Thunder team with the Warriors facing elimination. They went on to win Game 7 before falling to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in a seven-game NBA Finals.
Durant had no interest in recollecting, smiling and laughing with Curry as he said, ”next question.”
As for Curry?
”I think we both blocked that whole year out of our memory,” the two-time MVP quipped.
No arguing they both appreciate Thompson’s no-fear shooting approach and ability to almost single-handedly turn the tide of a game with a timely 3-pointer or two – or nine.
Once Golden State got going in transition, following clutch defensive stops, Thompson found the looks he so prefers from long range.
”I feel like we’re the best team in the world and most fun team in the world to watch when we’re pushing that ball, getting defensive stops and making plays,” he said. ”We’ve got too much talent not just to hit singles like Coach always says. Trust the next man ahead of us. It will end up working in our favor most of the time.”
Thompson shot 13 for 23 and 9 of 14 from deep as the Warriors responded from an early 17-point deficit to dominate James Harden and Houston the final three quarters
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Thompson went a combined 20 of 32 from 3-point range in those two impressive Game 6 shows, Saturday and in 2016.
”I think Klay doesn’t worry too much about repercussions. He doesn’t worry about judgment and results. I think he just loves to play,” coach Steve Kerr said. ”He’s so comfortable in his own skin. I just think he wants to go out there and hoop, and he doesn’t worry about much else. So the pressure doesn’t seem to bother him much. He just competes and plays. As I said, the two-way ability of this guy hounding the MVP of the league, most likely, all game, and continuing to rain down 3-pointers, he’s amazing.”
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