The three-game sweep of the NHL from Monday night starts in Columbus where Cam Atkinson‘s hat trick led the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 win over the stumbling Montreal Canadiens.
Brandon Saad scored twice for the Jackets including an empty-netter with less than two minutes left in regulation.
Atkinson’s third goal of the night came with 25 seconds left in the game.
Columbus associate coach Craig Hartsburg gave Atkinson the last line change in an effort to get him the hat trick. 
“It was nice [Hartsburg] threw our line out, and we made an odd-man rush,” Atkinson said. “Right there, I was smiling the whole way because I knew at some point someone was going to try to get one.”
Brendan Gallagher and P.K. Subban scored for the Habs who were once again listless especially in the third period when the Jackets scored three times.
“We just had bad execution again,” Canadiens coach Michel Therrien. “We [allowed] three goals where we had the puck and we gave them the puck. It’s unacceptable.
“I’m disappointed with the way that we execute when we have the puck. We turn pucks over. You’re not going to win many games playing that way.”
Subban’s goal had rallied the Canadiens from a two-goal deficit to tie it in the second period.
“I really felt going out in the third period it was our game,” Subban said. “Those moments we lose the puck or lose our heads are costing us right now.”
The two teams face each other Tuesday night in Montreal.
“We’ve got to play better tomorrow,” Montreal captain Max Pacioretty said. “We really need to play for 60 minutes and get the ‘W’ before we go into the break. Everyone’s frustrated with the way tonight’s game went.”
In New York, Derick Brassard scored twice and added three assists, all in the third period, to help the Rangers shake off a dreadful performance in Ottawa the night before, in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
“I was just worried about trying to get some scoring chances, that’s where I was in my game,” Brassard said. “I take my role really [seriously] on this team and I felt it has been a tough stretch for me the last two weeks, but I tried to answer with a good effort [Monday]. The most important thing is I did my job for the team. If everyone does their job here, we’re going to have a good chance to win every night.”
For Brassard, it was a breakout game after a stretch where he and the rest of the Rangers have been woeful.
“We knew it was only a matter of time,” Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh said of Brassard. “You get an illness like that, it’s tough to get your body back to feeling the way you want to feel as a hockey player. It’s great to see him break through here before the break and obviously get some confidence back in his game.”
J.T. Miller, Mats Zuccarello, Viktor Stalberg and Dylan McIlrath also scored for the Rangers.
“Definitely in the last I want to say month I think we have shown more consistency,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “I mean, we’ve [won] three out of four, other than that stinker we had in Ottawa. If you look at the way we’ve been playing, 5-on-5, we’ve definitely been getting better. We need to improve on our specialty teams and we need to be better on the road. We know that. But I do believe that this group is on the right track right here.”
Brian Gionta scored in the first to tie the game at one all and Zemgus Girgensons scored twice in the third period to rally the Sabres from a 3-1 deficit to tie.
“They almost got us there, but we responded well,” New York’s Henrik Lundqvist said. “It’s about confidence and experience in that situation, and finding ways to win instead of finding ways to lose. That’s the difference from being in the top half or the bottom half of the League, you find ways to win or you find ways to lose, because the difference is not big. A lot of teams are good. It was crucial for us to get it done.”
In St Paul, the Minnesota Wild scored first in a tight game on a goal from Charlie Coyle in the third period but the Arizona Coyotes tied the game late with a shorthanded goal from Antoine Vermette to force extra time.
The game went to the skills competition where Anthony Duclair scored the deciding goal in a 2-1 win for the Coyotes.
Arizona had only six shots on goal through 40 minutes of play but managed 17 n the third period.
“If you leave it like that, you’re not going to win many games,” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. “We weren’t very good, right to a man. We weren’t mentally and physically engaged the way we needed to be. That being said, weren’t giving up a ton, Domingue gave us a heck of game and we got a break at the end to get it tied. I thought we should’ve won in overtime, but we’ll take the two points.”
It was the ninth loss of the season for the Wild in overtime and shootouts.
“Right now, when the game is on the line, we’re not making the winning play,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said. “Whether it’s protecting a lead, whether it’s getting a lead, when the game is tied. Right now, we’re not making the winning play. That’s what we have to fix here, it’s a collection of a bunch of little things right now.”
Louis Domingue made 34 saves in the win and Devan Dubnyk took the loss on 23 saves.
“Louis was good. Louis was the only reason we hung around the game,” Tippett said. “He continues to play.”
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