The Columbus Blue Jackets’ offensive woes of late continued in their 2-1 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators Thursday evening in front of a sold-out Nationwide Arena.

The loss marks the fifth consecutive match the Blue Jackets notched only one goal. Considering the lackluster scoring production, Columbus continues to be competitive with a three game point-streak.  They are also only one of a handful of teams in the NHL not to be shutout in a game this season.

Columbus has only won one of their last 12 games.

Nashville had a late game rally with a goal in the final eight minutes of the game. Andreas Thuresson tied what was a 1-0 game in favor of Columbus with 7:21 remaining in regulation. Thuresson’s goal was his first of his career. 

The Predators won the game 29 seconds into overtime when Joel Ward forced Columbus’ Mathieu Roy to turn over the puck and Ward flipped to teammate David Legwand whose shot beat Garon.

Blue Jackets goalie Mathieu Garon had a solid performance stopping 27-of-29 shots. Garon’s counterpart for Nashville, Dan Ellis was even better stopping all but one of his 32 shots faced.

“They are playing really well and they are giving us a chance to win every night,” Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock said of the recent play of Garon and the Blue Jackets’ other goalie Steve Mason who started their games on Monday and Tuesday. “Nothing is going to happen (until) you get scoring from your top six forwards…

“If we averaged what we are supposed to be averaging or get what normal teams average offensively, we would have been not been in the position we’re in right now. I think we have to take a look at that because we have to demand more and expect more from your top players. If you’re going to win, they have to come through for you.”

The Blue Jackets started the game off with a solid first period led by second-line forward Raffi Torres. Torres notched the game’s first goal 6:02 into the first when he dunked the puck into the net after the puck squirted past the stick of a diving Ellis following a Jakub Voracek shot.

“First half of the game, we played really well,” Hitchcock said. “We’re just not able to play 60 minutes in our zone at a level of intensity necessary to manage the game. We were in good shape, and then there was no push coming, and then we made a casual puck play.”

Columbus’ one goal lead held up for most of the game.

Torres had a golden opportunity to score later on in the period when he found a very similar opportunity bounce off Ellis’ glove side post.

Columbus outshot Nashville 12-10 in the first period.

The game’s first penalty did not take place until 13:53 into the second on a trip committed by newly acquired Blue Jackets defenseman Milan Jurcina. Both goalies played well in the second period as Garon stopped nine shots he faced. Ellis saved 11-of-11.

“The chances are there,” Torres said. “We have to get a few more bounces our way. We have to do a better job of getting traffic to the net.”

“I don’t think the defense in the first two periods was a problem,” Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash said. “In the third, we got away with what we were doing in the first two (periods). We started turning it over in our own end.”

Columbus had an opportunity to win the game late in the third as Nash took a shot that went through the five hole of Ellis but went off the far post. The play was reviewed but it was conclusive the puck did not cross the line.

“That is the way things have been going all year,” Torres said about the two Blue Jackets’ shots ringing off the post. “At the same time, we have to stand up for the plays we make and go out there. We were light and we were lying against the walls where we needed to get pucks out.”

Recently added Columbus forward Chris Clark had a game high five shots.