Atkinson goal aids US; Dubois helps lift Canada

Blue Jackets forwards Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois each scored a goal on Thursday to help their national teams advance to the semifinals of the world championship in Denmark.

Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara also scored in a losing effort.

Atkinson’s goal in the first period gave the United States a 2-0 lead on the way to a 3-2 win against the Czech Republic. The right wing, who notched his seventh goal in eight games, is the tournament’s sixthhighest scoring player (seven goals and four assists for 11 points).

“It was a great play by Johnny (Gaudreau), bringing the puck in, kind of delaying and hitting (Nick Bonino). I just broke in and was all alone,” Atkinson told the Jackets’ official website of his goal on Thursday. “He saw me, but I was calling for it pretty good, and I just happened to have an open net.” Blue Jackets center rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois, right, scored in the third period of Canada’s overtime win against Russia at the world hockey championship in Denmark.

At the same time the U.S.-Czech quarterfinal was being played at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Canada beat Russia 5-4 in overtime at Royal Arena in Copenhagen with Dubois making a key contribution.

Dubois scored a goahead goal from the

low slot with 7:34 left in regulation. Russia pulled even at 4-4 less than two minutes later, and Ryan O’Reilly scored the winning goal nearly five minutes into overtime.

It was Dubois’ third goal in seven games at his first world

championship. The 19-year-old, who just finished his rookie season in the NHL, also has three assists.

Like Atkinson, Nutivaara has been an offensive standout in Denmark. His goal Thursday from below the right circle, from one knee, gave Finland a 1-0 lead 7:01 into its 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Switzerland. Jackets defenseman Dean Kukan was in the lineup for the Swiss, who’ll face Canada in the semifinals.

Nutivaara’s nine points (three goals, six assists) in eight games lead all defensemen at the tournament.

In the fourth game on Thursday, Blue Jackets goaltending prospect Elvis Merzlikins made 31 saves for Latvia in a 3-2 loss to Sweden.

The 24-year-old Merzlikins, whom the Jackets drafted in the third round in 2014 and has one year left on his contract for Swiss team HC Lugano, was 4-0-1-0 with a 1.19 goals-against average for Latvia in group play.

Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray (Canada), winger Sonny Milano (U.S.) and defenseman prospect Vladislav Gavrikov (Russia) also played in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

With a win Saturday against Sweden in the semifinals, the Americans, whose general manager, Bill Zito, is the Blue Jackets’ assistant general manager, would position themselves to claim their first gold at world championship since 1933. They last won silver in 1950.

“It’s huge,” Atkinson told the Jackets’ website of the possibility of playing for a medal on Sunday. “Like I said before this game, we’re a confident bunch. We just found a way to get it done, and we’re ready for the next challenge ahead of us.”

Canada plays Switzerland in the other semifinal.

Atkinson told The Dispatch on Tuesday that the entire U.S. team is dedicating its performance in this tournament to famed USA hockey executive Jim Johansson, who died in his sleep on Jan. 21 at age 53.