The Chicago Blackhawks knock off the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-1 in their final contest of the 9-game road trip.
Derick Brassard got the Blue Jackets on the board first after a dreadful defensive zone turnover by Sami Lepisto just over 5 minutes into the game.
Blackhawks poured it on Columbus after that scoring 6 goals the rest of the way started by Jonathan Toews who net his 29th goal of the season, now tied for 4th in the NHL.
Viktor Stalberg also added a goal in the period scoring his 8th goal of the season against the Blue Jackets, 16th total. Stalberg now has 4-game winning goals against Columbus this year. Dylan Olsen was credited with a secondary assist on the play, his first NHL point.
Midway through the second period, Jimmy Hayes dropped the gloves for the first time in his NHL career with Derek MacKenzie. Later in the period, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane found the back of the net scoring within 1:11 from each other chasing Steve Mason out of his net for the afternoon.
In the third period, Marcus Kruger tallied his 6th goal of the year and Sami Lepisto, who had been benched since his turnover early in the first that led to a goal, knocked in the final goal of the game and his first goal as a Blackhawk.
Immediately after that goal following a commercial break, 6’0″ 190-pound Derek Dorsett took a run at 6’8″ 258-pound John Scott, and it didn’t end well for Dorsett.
Patrick Kane (1 goal, 1 assist), Patrick Sharp (1 goal, 2 assists), and Jonathan Toews (1 goal, 2 assists) each finished with multi-point games. It was Kane’s 11th multi-point game of the season, Sharp’s 13th, and Toews’ team-leading 16th of the year.
Corey Crawford picked up his 20th victory of the season and had one of the best games he’s had in a while, stopping 33 of 34 shots faced.
Even though the Blackhawks have not registered a power play goal during the 9-game road trip, they have now killed off 12 straight penalties in the last 4 games.
WHAT’S NEXT?
It’s hockey day in America tomorrow! Chicago heads home for the first time since January 24th as they take on the divisional opponent St. Louis on Sunday morning; puck drop at 11:30am CT! (Game will be on NBC).