Blue Jackets’ Alex Nylander reacts to scoring 1st career hat trick in 5th game with Columbus

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Alex Nylander is making quite an impression with his new team. Nylander scored a hat trick in just his fifth game with the franchise on Monday.

“This is a really good spot for me,” Nylander said, per NHL.com. “They gave me a great opportunity here, so I’m really happy.”

Nylander is on fire in Columbus, with six points in five games for the team. The Blue Jackets traded with the Pittsburgh Penguins for Nylander on February 22. His hat trick helped the Blue Jackets skate past the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, 6-3.

Nylander has six total points on the season, due to his performance in the last five games. He had appeared in only five games this year for the Penguins, and didn’t muster a single point. Columbus Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent says Nylander’s addition to the lineup has really improved chemistry.

“The magic happens when you start having confidence in your teammates, and that’s what we’ve been seeing recently,” Vincent said. “I’ve been saying that for some time now. They’re starting to believe in each other and playing for each other, and that changes everything.”

Columbus is lagging in the Eastern Conference, sitting in dead last in the Metropolitan Division. The team has 52 points, fewest in the entire Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets have a 21-30-10 overall record.

The Blue Jackets next play Nylander’s former team the Pittsburgh Penguins, on Tuesday. The puck drops at 7:00 Eastern. The Penguins are 27-24-8 on the season. Nylander most certainly has this game scheduled on his calendar.