A night after just about everything went right for the Columbus Blue Jackets in their opening win vs. the New York Islanders, things were about the opposite against Chicago on Saturday.
Despite some solid moments of puck possession and a shot count advantage of 33-29, Columbus fell to 1-1 in its opening weekend with a 5-1 loss against the Blackhawks in the United Center in the second game of the season.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| BLACKHAWKS | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
IN A PARAGRAPH
Patrick Kane proved to be too much to handle for the Blue Jackets, opening the scoring and directly setting up another goal in Chicago's win. Columbus never led, falling into a 2-0 hole in the opening period and losing the first backstopping effort of the season of goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
NOTABLES
- Rookie Sonny Milano scored for Columbus, earning his second goal in as many games after entering the season with zero tallies in seven career contests.
- Nick Foligno assisted on Milano's goal and won 79 percent of his faceoffs.
- Defenseman Zach Werenski had six shots on goal while playing 23:33 along the blue line.
STAT ATTACK
Former Blue Jackets forward Brandon Saad now has four goals in two games in his return to Chicago after scoring in the first period. ... Werenski and Seth Jones were each minus-2. ... Saad and Jonathan Toews each had a goal and an assist along with Kane. ... Korpisalo had 24 saves on 29 shots against. ... Columbus' power play finished 0 for 2 while Chicago's was 1-2.
WHAT HAPPENED
Chicago needed just 1:33 to open the scoring, as the Blue Jackets got a bit too aggressive on an early shift by the Milano-Foligno-Oliver Bjorkstrand line and the Blackhawks broke off on a 3-on-2. Jack Johnson and David Savard converged on Nick Schmaltz, leaving Kane open on the right wing, and Kane had plenty of time to snipe the puck by Korpisalo's glove to give Chicago the 1-0 advantage.
A hooking penalty by Milano gifted Chicago the game's first power play in the opening stanza, and the Blackhawks took advantage. Off a draw, the puck made it to Patrick Sharp at the right point, and Saad found the rebound of his shot near the side of the goal and tucked it home just 6:04 into the game to make it 2-0.
Columbus got to the end of the period with the score still 2-0 and – thanks in part to a change that swapped pieces on the second and third lines – the Jackets swarmed at times in the opening minutes of the second.
But it was Chicago that scored first in the frame, taking a 3-0 lead when Richard Panik banged Seth Jones behind the net, causing a turnover that very quickly became a goal when Toews ripped a one-timer over Korpisalo's glove at 10:14.
Things turned a bit from there as the Jackets made it 3-1 just 31 seconds after Toews' goal. Foligno picked up a drop pass from Gabriel Carlsson and cut to the net before centering the puck through the blue of the paint for Milano to tap home for his second goal in as many games.
But any thought Columbus could build on that tally was put to rest by another fine individual effort by Kane that resulted in a goal by Jan Rutta at 12:51. Kane cut in along the left wing and held the puck to draw over the defense before finding Rutta at the far post for a quick shot past Korpisalo.
After a largely uneventful third, Panik found a loose puck off a draw with 5:55 to play and fired past Korpisalo's blocker to make it 5-1.
INJURY REPORT
Chicago's Schmaltz appeared to suffer a leg injury while getting tied up with Johnson and Savard on Kane's opening goal and did not return. He played just 34 seconds of action.
NEXT UP
Columbus stays on the road, going to Carolina to take on the Metro Division rival Hurricanes on Tuesday night.
