Matt Calvert
Karlsson nets two, Blue Jackets beat Flames 2-1
Matt Calvert

Karlsson nets two, Blue Jackets beat Flames 2-1

Published Feb. 6, 2016 12:04 a.m. ET

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- Columbus rookie William Karlsson broke out of a slump with two goals to lead the surging Blue Jackets to a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday night.

Karlsson scored the go-ahead goal 1:42 into the third period, taking advantage of a miscue by Dougie Hamilton. The Flames defenseman had the puck knocked off his stick at the Columbus blue line and on the subsequent odd-man rush, Matt Calvert set up Karlsson's sixth goal of the season.

The 23-year-old Karlsson entered the night with just one goal in his previous 30 games.

Columbus picked up six of eight possible points on a four-game road trip. The Blue Jackets do not play again until Tuesday, when they host the New York Islanders to open a five-game homestand. The Blue Jackets are 4-1-1 in their last six.

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Jiri Hudler scored at 7:09 of the opening period for the Flames, who have lost four of their last five.

The Blue Jackets tied it at 1 at 9:39 of the second on another odd-man rush, this one coming as a result of Calgary defenseman Ladislav Smid getting caught deep in the Columbus end.

On the ensuing 2-on-1 led by Seth Jones, the defenseman faked a shot, held the puck patiently, then neatly set up Karlsson, who put a one-timer past Karri Ramo inside the goal post.

Calgary led 1-0 after the first period, with the key sequence beginning when Boone Jenner was sprung in alone on a breakaway by Cam Atkinson, but was robbed on a superb glove stop by Ramo. Play kept going and as the Flames went back up ice, Sean Monahan fed a pass across to Hudler, whose shot deflected off the stick of Alexander Wennberg and beat Joonas Korpisalo over the shoulder.

That would be the only shot to beat Korpisalo, who had 30 saves. The 21-year-old rookie entered 5-1-1 in his previous seven games with a .942 save percentage. One of his best saves came early in the second period while lying flat on the ice when he stuck out his trapper to stop Michael Frolik at the side of the net.

Ramo had 16 stops, but the Blue Jackets didn't register a shot for the final 16:07 of the game.

NOTES: Calgary D TJ Brodie returned after he left the previous game early in the second after taking a shot just above the knee. ... D Jakub Nakladal was a scratch for the sixth time. The 28-year-old, in his first season in North America, has been called up from Stockton (AHL) twice but has yet to make his NHL debut. ... Seth Jones has seven assists in 13 games since being acquired by Columbus from Nashville.

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