Washington: Cam Atkinson netted two goals and the Columbus Blue Jackets matched the second-longest win streak in National Hockey League history on Saturday with their 15th consecutive victory, a 4-2 triumph at Minnesota.
Atkinson, a 27-year-old US right wing who tops Columbus scorers, struck for his 16th and 17th goals of the season as the league-leading Blue Jackets stretched their streak to two wins shy of the league record by snapping Minnesota's 12-game victory run.
"I'm happy for the guys," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I'm proud of our team and the way they've handled themselves through all this."
It was the first time two NHL teams on double-digit win streaks had faced each other and the first time two clubs had such long streaks concurrently. Both joined the NHL in 2000 as expansion teams.
Columbus matched the 15-game win streaks of the 1981-82 New York Islanders and 2012-13 Pittsburgh Penguins, all two wins shy of the record 17-game run belonging to the Penguins from March and April of 1993.
If they beat Edmonton at home on Tuesday, the Blue Jackets could equal the record win streak Thursday at Washington and break the mark next Saturday at home against the New York Rangers.
Russian goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves for his 13th consecutive Blue Jackets victory.
Atkinson opened the scoring midway into the first period and the Blue Jackets seized a 3-0 edge 3:44 into the second period when Atkinson netted his second goal only 15 seconds after teammate Jack Johnson scored his second of the season.
Minnesota's Mikael Granlund put the Wild on the scoreboard with a power-play goal 5:58 into the second period but Seth Jones answered for the Blue Jackets with 2:25 remaining in the period.
Jason Zucker scored on a backhand shot 24 seconds into the third period to pull the Wild within the final margin.
Columbus boasts the NHL's best attack with 3.44 goals a game while the Wild owned the toughest defensive unit, allowing only two goals a game.
The Blue Jackets last lost in a shootout at Florida on November 26. Minnesota had not lost since December 2 in overtime against Calgary.
