Columbus Blue Jackets Snap 4-Game Losing Streak with 5-1 Victory over Chicago Blackhawks
Johnson Scores Twice, Werenski Extends Home Point Streak
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Zach Werenski scored and had two assists, and Kent Johnson scored twice as the Columbus Blue Jackets ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
Denton Mateychuk and Adam Fantilli each scored, Dmitri Voronkov had two assists, and Elvis Merzlikins made 27 saves in the teams’ return from a break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Craig Smith scored for the Blackhawks, and Petr Mrazek made 16 saves.
Johnson made it 2-0 at 1:12 of the second period, and Mateychuk countered Smith’s power-play goal with his score 12:28 into the second to make it 3-1.
Takeaways
* Blackhawks: If they were hoping for a reset after the break, they didn’t get it. They have one win in the past six games (1-3-2) and are 2-4-4 in the past 10.
* Blue Jackets: Getting healthy for a playoff run is important. Captain Boone Jenner made his season debut after undergoing shoulder surgery on Oct. 9 and had an assist. Forward Kirill Marchenko (fractured jaw) and defenseman Dante Fabbro (concussion) returned after missing three games.
Key Moment
Mateychuk, a rookie defenseman, gave the Blue Jackets some breathing room by skating unchecked across the blue line and wristing a shot from 42 feet for his second goal and a 4-1 lead.
Key Stat
Werenski extended his home point streak to 22 games, tying Phil Housley (1991-92) for the third-longest streak by a defenseman in NHL history. Bobby Orr holds the record of 25 games in the 1974-75 season.
Up Next
The Blackhawks host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, and the Blue Jackets host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Conclusion
The Blue Jackets’ victory marked the end of their four-game losing streak, and they will look to build on this win as they continue their playoff push.
FAQs
* What was the final score in the game?
The final score was 5-1 in favor of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
* How many goals did Kent Johnson score?
Johnson scored two goals in the game.
* What was the key moment in the game?
Mateychuk’s second goal, which gave the Blue Jackets a 4-1 lead, was the key moment in the game.
