It’s not a job that attracts a lot of the NHL’s top scoring forwards.
Killing penalties is hockey’s most selfless task, requiring the stomach to block shots, anticipation to break up plays, humility to log tough minutes and a coach willing to risk an injury to one of his top scoring options while doing it.
It’s what makes Cam Atkinson a valuable outlier for the Blue Jackets, who went into a game Thursday in Dallas with their leading goal-scorer also leading the NHL with four short-handed goals.
“That’s why he’s relied upon in so many situations on our team,” said captain Nick Foligno, who has set up two of Atkinson’s short-handed goals this season. “He plays in all facets and he’s trusted in every area, so it’s good to see him being rewarded for the hard work he creates — especially on the penalty kill.”
Atkinson’s four “shorties” this season were all significant.
All four provided leads, including two that put the Blue Jackets up 1-0 in the first period. His second and third were scored in back-to-back victories against Carolina and Chicago in February, which tied and surpassed Rick Nash for the most short-handed goals in franchise history.
His fourth was the first goal scored Tuesday in a 4-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings, which ended a five-game winless streak and included fans watching inside Nationwide Arena for the first time in more than a year.
Atkinson’s goal off a slap shot from high in the right face-off circle beat Red Wings goalie Jonathan Bernier over the glove on the short side, allowing him to welcome fans back with a pointing salute along the glass. That it happened while the Blue Jackets were short-handed was mostly inconsequential and not the least bit surprising.
“I’ve penalty-killed my whole life, I guess, if you want to go way back,” said Atkinson, who has a team-high 10 goals this season. “I take a lot of pride in it and I love (penalty-killing). I never thought I’d ever say that, but I’m always excited to jump over the boards for PK.”
Opponents should be less enthused. They should also be more aware of Atkinson’s knack for scoring goals at a disadvantage.
Through the Blue Jackets’ first 24 games, Atkinson had attempted 13 shots while penalty-killing and put seven on net. Of the four goals, one was a penalty shot Feb. 8 against Carolina, giving him a blistering 57.1% short-handed shooting percentage.
“One of Cam’s biggest attributes as a penalty killer is his quickness, not only with his feet but he has anticipation skills mentally,” coach John Tortorella said. “He anticipates plays and it gives him opportunities like this (to score short-handed). It’s a huge part of his game for us.”
Last season, Atkinson played most often with center Alexander Wennberg, another skilled forward, on one of the Blue Jackets’ top two penalty-killing units. Wennberg’s departure after a contract buyout took away that combination, so Atkinson has worked with a rotation of penalty-killing forwards this season, including Foligno and Alexandre Texier.
Foligno’s stretch pass from the right wing in the defensive zone Jan. 26 led to Atkinson’s first short-handed goal this season, which put Columbus up 3-2 early in the third period of the Jackets’ 4-3 shootout loss the Florida Panthers at Nationwide Arena. A return feed from Foligno to Atkinson Feb. 11 in Chicago led to the first goal of a wild 6-5 victory for the Blue Jackets at United Center.
Anticipation was the key to both goals, along with the one Atkinson scored against the Red Wings this week — after he hopped on a long rebound of a shot by Detroit’s Bobby Ryan and turned it into a 2-on-1 short-handed rush with Texier.
“He’s so good at reading what the other team is going to do,” defenseman Zach Werenski said. “He kind of sniffs out those high (reverse passes). He’s great…
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