Torres on tear for Blue Jackets
Forward scores twice in 4-3 win over Thrashers
Last Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009 | 10:34 PM ET
The Associated Press
Raffi Torres scored two uncontested second-period goals and the Columbus Blue Jackets held off the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 on Thursday night.
The Thrashers, coming off road wins at Ottawa and Montreal, lost for the fourth time in five home games.
The Blue Jackets took a 2-0 lead in the first period when Jakub Voracek and Derick Brassard each had a goal and an assist, and Columbus never trailed.
Mathieu Garon stopped 32 shots in his first start against the Thrashers since 2000.
Pavel Kubina's power-play goal 2:06 into the third period cut Atlanta's deficit to 4-3. Bryan Little and Tobias Enstrom scored in the second. Enstrom's goal was his first this season.
The Thrashers, 2-for-8 on the power play, outshot the Blue Jackets 35-21.
Torres' second goal, his eighth of the season, gave Columbus a 4-2 lead. Torres, who had two goals Sunday in the Blue Jackets' 5-4 win at Washington, scored twice Thursday by taking advantage of the Thrashers' breakdowns in weak-side defence.
Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec was defending attacks on the left side of the net when Torres was left alone on the right side. Torres had only one multi-goal game last season.
The Blue Jackets won for only the third time in nine games after a 5-1 start.
Brassard returned after missing one game because of a hand injury, while teammate Derek Dorsett was helped off the ice about five minutes into the third period after he was knocked hard into the wall by Ron Hainsey.
