Coyle, Blue Jackets ease past Hurricanes to push point streak to 10

COLUMBUS -- Charlie Coyle had a goal and three assists, and the Columbus Blue Jackets extended their point streak to 10 games with a 5-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.

Coyle’s four points tied an NHL-career high. He said the game was a litmus test against the Eastern Conference leader.

“They're above us. They're a really good team for a good reason,” Coyle said. “But the way we've been playing as of late, I can't forget the fact that we are a really, really good team too and I think sometimes that can get overlooked. Maybe we're not in a playoff position but the way we've been playing, we have to have that confidence.”

Mason Marchment and Mathieu Olivier also scored, and Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger each had two assists for the Blue Jackets (35-21-11), who are 6-0-4 during their point streak and 17-2-4 over their past 23 games. Jet Greaves made 27 saves.

Columbus pulled within one point of the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

“Our pressure has been something to reckon with in the past two months,” Olivier said. “Tonight, against a team like that that's been at the top of the Eastern Conference for a long time, just proves that our team has taken the step needed to make the playoffs and obviously be competitive. 

“It just proves that we’re a club that can play with anyone.”

Andrei Svechnikov scored, and Brandon Bussi made 25 saves for the Hurricanes (42-19-6), who had won four of six.

“If you’re going to lose, that’s probably the way you want to do it,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You don’t want to lose but play well. This was not a game we played well. Throw it away and come back tomorrow (against the Pittsburgh Penguins).”

Marchment’s power-play goal gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 5:25 of the first period with a one-timer low in the left circle off a pass from Coyle. It came during the first half of a double minor to Seth Jarvis for high-sticking Zach Werenski.

“A lot of good support out there trying to drag them away from the net and get some open looks and Charlie's doing a great job down there on the goal line,” Marchment said.

Coyle also scored on the power play at 19:05 to make it 2-0. He received a pass from Fantilli on the forehand near the left post, pulled the puck back and flicked it in.

“We just never got going and get started behind the eight ball there with the penalties, give up a couple on them,” Brind’Amour said. “We just never got any traction in our game. It was too bad because we were out of it before we started.”

Svechnikov cut it to 2-1 at 14:05 of the second period during 4-on-4 play, scoring on the rush with a backhand around Greaves.

Danton Heinen extended it to 3-1 at 17:29 with his 100th NHL goal after he poked the puck from Bussi behind the net. Bussi went down and Coyle’s shot into the open net was blocked by Alexander Nikishin, but the puck went to Heinen for a shot as Bussi scrambled back to the crease.

“I was trying to get stick on puck and kind of a scramble from there,” Heinen said. “I think it was (Cole Sillinger who) threw it out front. (Coyle) had a look and then just lucky enough it bounced to me and had the open net.”

Denton Mateychuk scored 34 seconds later to push it to 4-1, finishing from the high slot after Sean Monahan’s face-off win.

“It’s tough to come back in this league, especially against a team like that doesn't give you much, and they're obviously playing desperate,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “They looked like the more desperate, ready-to-go team.”

Olivier made it 5-1 at 7:38 of the third period when he retrieved a loose puck in the slot from a Coyle one-handed assist after splitting two defenders.

NOTES: Greaves extended his point streak to 10 games and became the second goaltender in Blue Jackets history with a double-digit run, following Sergei Bobrovsky, who did so four times (longest: 16 games in 2016-17). … Fantilli has five points (one goal, four assists) in a four-game streak and 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his past 12 games. … Marchment’s 12 goals are the most by a player through their first 25 games with the Blue Jackets, surpassing Kirill Marchenko (11). Marchment was acquired from the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 19.