National Hockey League
Columbus 4, Dallas 3
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 4, 2021
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Referees: Brandon Blandina, Francis Charron
Linesmen: Shandor Alphonso, Travis Toomey
Attendance: N/A

Cam Atkinson scored his 200th career goal early in the third period to lift the host Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Columbus native Jack Roslovic and fellow new addition Patrik Laine each scored their first goal for the Blue Jackets since being acquired in a trade from the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 23.

Oliver Bjorkstrand also tallied as Columbus posted its ninth win in its last 10 meetings with Dallas.

Joonas Korpisalo made 25 saves to rebound after yielding five goals on 23 shots before being pulled in the Blue Jackets' 6-3 setback to Dallas on Tuesday. He had been alternating games with Elvis Merzlikins, who sustained an undisclosed upper-body injury in practice on Wednesday.

Captain Jamie Benn scored a goal in his third straight game and Roope Hintz and Jason Dickinson also tallied for the Stars, who have lost three of their last four games (1-2-1) after winning their first four to start the season.

Bjorkstrand unleashed a sharp-angle shot from along the right-wing boards to open the scoring 2:23 into the first before Roslovic doubled the advantage with 3:01 left in the period. Defenseman Zach Werenski sent a diagonal pass to Roslovic, who deposited the puck over the glove of Anton Khudobin (21 saves) for his first goal of the season.

Hintz halved the deficit 1:18 into the second period after deflecting home a shot-pass from Denis Gurianov, but Laine answered 6:32 later.

Lane fended off Dallas' Radek Faksa before backhanding the puck past Khudobin for his third goal of the season. The tally also was Laine's 19th in 19 games versus the Stars, the most against one opponent in his career.

Defenseman Miro Heiskanen's feed banked off Dickinson in front to trim Columbus' lead to 3-2 with 2:18 left in the second period, however Atkinson scored from the doorstep at 3:42 of the third.

Benn's backhander from in front of the net once again brought Dallas to within a goal with 8:59 to play in the third period. The Stars were unable to net the equalizer, however.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Dallas   Columbus
Alexander Radulov 3 Points Oliver Bjorkstrand 2
Jamie Benn 1 Goals Oliver Bjorkstrand 1
Alexander Radulov 3 Assists Oliver Bjorkstrand 1
Roope Hintz 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Anton Khudobin .840 Save Percentage Joonas Korpisalo .893
Anton Khudobin 21 Saves Joonas Korpisalo 25
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Dallas 28 3 1-3 3-3 6 28
Columbus 25 4 0-3 2-3 6 29
Upcoming Games
  • Columbus will play their next game at home against Carolina. The Blue Jackets have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .571 after a loss.
  • Dallas will play their next game at home against Chicago. The Stars have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .500 after a loss.