Patrik Laine aims to keep the Columbus Blue Jackets headed in the right direction on Thursday when they visit the Buffalo Sabres.
Laine registered his third consecutive two-goal performance in Columbus’ 5-4 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. He added an assist on captain Boone Jenner’s go-ahead goal with 44.4 seconds remaining in regulation, helping the Blue Jackets begin a season-long, five-game road trip on the right note.
“Throughout the game, I don’t think we changed the way we played,” Jenner said. “Even when they scored to tie it, I think we just kept playing the same way. I think we stuck with it all night and got the result, obviously.”
Laine has recorded four straight multi-point performances (six goals, three assists) for Columbus, which has posted a 3-1-0 mark in that stretch.
Laine’s linemates — Jenner and Gustav Nyquist — are faring quite well in their own right.
Jenner notched an assist on the second of Laine’s power-play goals before scoring his go-ahead tally, boosting his team-leading totals in both goals (19) and points (32). Jenner, who has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in his last 12 games, had two assists in the Blue Jackets’ 7-4 victory at Buffalo on Nov. 22.
Nyquist has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in his last 17 games, including six multi-point performances in his last 15. He had an assist in the previous meeting versus the Sabres.
Max Domi, who had two assists on Tuesday, scored a goal and set up two others in the previous encounter against Buffalo.
Trey Fix-Wolansky made the most of his NHL debut on Tuesday, scoring a goal at 2:40 of the third period that put the Blue Jackets up 4-3 and was nearly the game winner until the Capitals scored with less than three minutes remaining.
With his parents in attendance and competing against his childhood idol in Alex Ovechkin, Fix-Wolansky wired a low, hard shot from the left circle that handcuffed goalie Pheonix Copley for his first career NHL goal.
“The coaches were telling me all night to shoot, so I shot the puck,” the 22-year-old Fix-Wolansky said. “I heard the crowd kind of roar a little bit so I knew the puck was behind him. I was just going to the net and I saw it go in, and it was probably the most excitement I’ve ever had in my life.”
While the Blue Jackets have been busy, the Sabres may be a bit rusty when they return to game action for the first time since Feb. 1.
Star Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, however, plans to keep his word should he score a goal on Thursday.
Dahlin promised the Buffalo Bills’ Dion Dawkins he’d perform a “Griddy” dance with his next tally after meeting the left tackle at the NHL Skills event on Friday. Dawkins was in Las Vegas for the Pro Bowl.
“He was hilarious,” Dahlin said. “It was awesome. After that I was like, ‘Oh, what a great guy,’ and every second of it we had a lot of fun. He made me show my personality on the camera, which was weird. It was great. It was really great.”
Dahlin notched two of his club-best 21 assists in the previous encounter with the Blue Jackets.
Tage Thompson, who scored two goals in that game, has seven of his team-leading 30 points in his last six games overall.
–Field Level Media