Eurolanche

Avs eliminated with 5-2 loss to Jackets

Needing to win the final two games while getting some outside assistance in order to gain the final playoff berth in the Western Conference, the Avalanche were eliminated Thursday night with a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Pepsi Center.

Rick Nash and rookie Cam Atkinson scored two goals each for the Blue Jackets, who own the worst record in the NHL but have won four of their past five games.

The Avalanche, who have gone 1-4-1 in the past five games, will play their final game of the season Saturday against Nashville. The Blue Jackets play their season finale Saturday at home against the New York Islanders.

In a desperate attempt to tie the game and send it to overtime, the Avalanche pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov for an extra attacker with 3:50 left in the third period.

But Blue Jackets rookie Atkinson ended the possibility of an Avalanche comeback by scoring into the vacated net to complete a hat trick.

The Blue Jackets got goals from Nash and Atkinson 5:04 apart in the second period to grab a 4-2 lead.

Nash scored from the bottom of the right circle with five seconds left on a two-man advantage off a pass from Brassard at 6:47 to break a 2-2 tie with Colorado's Paul Stastny (hooking) and Ryan O'Byrne (boarding) sitting next to each other in the penalty box.

Atkinson increased the Blue Jackets' lead to 4-2 at 11:51 with his second goal of the game moments after Avalanche defenseman Shane O'Brien lost the puck in his own end. RJ Umberger passed to Atkinson, who moved in alone on Varlamov and chipped the puck into the net.

Down 2-1 after the first period, the Avalanche tied the game on a goal by Stastny at 2:38 of the second period, eight seconds into a power play. Stastny won a draw in the left circle and skated in front to put the rebound of Peter Mueller's shot behind goalie Steve Mason.       

The Blue Jackets took a 2-1 lead in the first period on a goal by Nash with 2:31 remaining. Mark Letestu fired a shot that Varlamov stopped, but when the puck slid near the right post, Nash moved in untouched and slipped it across the goal line.

Columbus opened the scoring on a breakaway by Atkinson at 6:35 after Mueller's pass hit a skate just inside the Blue Jackets' blue line. Atkinson broke down the middle and chipped the puck by Varlamov's left pad.

The Avalanche tied the game on David Jones' goal at 9:56. Jamie McGinn skated down right wing as Jones skated down the slot. McGinn threw a centering pass that Jones redirected into the net.

-by Rick Sadowski for NHL.com-