Folks, the moms are invited back.
The Blue Jackets' mothers trip was a success as they scored five times and left United Center with a huge win on Saturday night, 5-2, thanks to a stellar performance by Artemi Panarin, who had two goals and an assist.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| BLACKHAWKS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
This was some kind of performance from Panarin, who looked like a man on a mission playing against his former team in a building where he provided many memorable moments.
His wonderfully-executed passing play with Atkinson staked the Blue Jackets to a 3-1 lead late in the first period, and after the Blackhawks pushed back hard in the second period, Panarin supplied a big moment early in the third.
Seth Jones' point shot inadvertently hit Panarin's stick midway to the net, and the puck bounced past Cam Ward to make it 4-2 Columbus. And after Panarin's stretch pass to Atkinson (and resulting goal) was washed out due to offsides, Josh Anderson made it a 5-2 game by scoring his career-best 20th goal of the year on a semi-break late in regulation.
The Blue Jackets had no chance tonight without Sergei Bobrovsky, who made key save after key save in the first two periods – including some highlight-reel stops in the first period that really helped Columbus pull away.
Milestones for Columbus tonight: Panarin registered his 300th career point, and Ryan Murray picked up his 100th NHL point (all with the Blue Jackets).
Injury Update
Brandon Dubinsky missed tonight's game and remains on injured reserve. Markus Hannikainen did not play due to illness. Kole Sherwood made his NHL debut.
Next Up
The Blue Jackets are back home Monday night at Nationwide Arena, as they're set to take on the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
