Three-goal flurry helps Columbus extend streak
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In a span of 75 seconds, the Columbus Blue Jackets turned a tight game with the Calgary Flames into one of their most lopsided wins of the season. And Columbus' improbable point streak continues to grow.
Nick Foligno scored two goals 51 seconds apart, and Artem Anisimov added one only 24 seconds after Foligno's flurry, giving the Blue Jackets a flash-quick cushion on the way to a 5-1 victory in Nationwide Arena on Friday.
It was the fastest three goals in franchise history, beating the previous mark of 1:46 set on Oct. 7, 2000, in the first game in franchise history.
"To be honest, I was worried the way the game was going," Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. "They hit the post in our end, and then we came right down the ice and (Foligno) scores. From them on it was pretty wild for about two minutes, and then the game was over with."
Fourth-liners Jared Boll and Colton Gillies also scored for the Blue Jackets, whose 12-game point streak (8-0-4) is a franchise record. Ten of those games were in Nationwide.
"We knew that if we were going to do something to save our season, it had to happen here, at home," Foligno said. "It's great that we've been able to do this, but our job is not done. We have to prove we can play on the road now the rest of the way."
The Blue Jackets, who got 22 saves by goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, improved to 16-4-4 all-time vs. Calgary at Nationwide.
The Flames, meanwhile, have gone winless in nine straight games (0-8-1) on the road since a Feb. 17 win in Dallas.
"Turnovers in our zone and the puck is in our net," Flames coach Bob Hartley said. "It seems like that is our road recipe. We'll find out pretty quickly that it's a recipe that doesn't work for us.
"With the veteran group we have, one thing we should have is poise. We have to find some solutions in our locker room."
The only Calgary goal was scored by Curtis Glencross, his 13th of the season. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff had 23 saves for the Flames.
The game looked like just the latest nail-biter for the Blue Jackets, whose point streak includes 10 games decided by one goal.
The Blue Jackets went up 1-0 at 16:56 of the first period when Boll scored on a slapshot from the slot.
The Flames made it 1-1 early in the second, when Glencross circled around the net in front of Blue Jackets defenseman Nikita Nikitin and easily deposited a feed from Matt Stajan.
The game then took a sloppy turn for much of the second period. The Flames didn't capitalize; the Blue Jackets did, in a flurry.
At 13:05 of the second, Foligno found space coming through the left circle and shoveled the puck into a crowd in front of Kiprusoff, with the puck finding a way over his right pad.
On the very next shift, Foligno let loose a shot from the slot that Kiprusoff never saw, thanks to a screen by Calgary defenseman Dennis Wideman. It was Foligno's fifth goal of the season.
Before the crowd was seated, Anisimov jumped on a turnover by Flames forward Lee Stempniak and rifled a slapshot into the net.
"I've seen stuff like that happen, but I've never been a part of it," Foligno said. "It was fun. I'd like to do it again sometime, hopefully soon."
NOTES: Glencross is a former Blue Jackets player, having played for Columbus in 2006-07 and 2007-08 before he was traded to Edmonton for defenseman Dick Tarnstrom. Glencross signed with Calgary as a free agent the following season. ... Blue Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski told The Columbus Dispatch that he'll travel with the club on its upcoming four-game road trip that begins Saturday in Nashville. Wisniewski's been out since Feb. 24 with a broken foot, but hopes to play on the trip.
