Camsanity is back, folks.
After a scintillating run of games this past week, Cam Atkinson was named the NHL's 1st Star of the Week. The Blue Jackets' winger tallied 3-4-7 in three games, including a four-point night against the Chicago Blackhawks.
He also scored his 15th shorthanded goal as a member of the Blue Jackets, which gave him the franchise record. He was previously tied with Rick Nash at 14. Atkinson's three shorthanded goals this season rank first in the NHL, and it's more than 28 teams in the NHL have scored this year. The Boston Bruins have the same amount, and the Montreal Canadiens are the only team with more shorthanded goals than Atkinson with 7.
The Boston College alum has notched 5-7-12 in 16 games this year, including his 200th NHL goal, all of which have come as a member of the Blue Jackets. Atkinson is finding his way to goal-scoring areas and generating more chances for his linemates: Jack Roslovic and Patrik Laine.
Cam Atkinson of the @BlueJacketsNHL and frontline healthcare hero Dr. Laurie Hommema named @NHL First Stars of the Week. https://t.co/bOiuKOwyro #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/m2sNCKvDpJ
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 15, 2021
After a wild 6-5 win over Chicago last Thursday night, Atkinson acknowledged that he's picked up his game a notch since the beginning of the season.
"The last five or six games, especially, I've been playing good hockey and getting opportunities...instead of shying away from it, I'm going toward the puck."
That strategy has only yielded positive results.
