Now this is what a team with so many stars on it should look like on the ice.
The Chicago Blackhawks came down fast and hard on the Columbus Blue Jackets right from the get-go. After several nice rushes in the Columbus zone, a rebound off of Viktor Stalberg’s attempt earned Jonathan Toews the first tally of the game, 7 minutes in. And the action kept on coming steadily throughout the first period, with a great tilt between Steve Montador and Derek Dorsett, followed by a powerplay goal for Columbus to even up the scoreboard. But with 3 minutes left in the first, the Captain wasn’t done yet. His second of the night gave the Blackhawks the go-ahead goal.
Halfway through the second the Hawks did it again, this time thanks to a powerplay goal from Andrew Brunette. With his fight in the first and credit for the assist on the Brunette goal, it was a big night for Steve Montador, who potted his own goal shortly after.
In the final minutes of the second frame, Patrick Kane took a pass from Dan Carcillo and shot the puck passed an overwhelmed Steve Mason. The shots on goal came to 30-19 in favor of the Hawks, and they closed out the period with a 5-1 lead.
The explosion of offense continued, literally seconds (32, to be exact) into the final period. Captain Toews got himself a 3-point night with his assist on Marian Hossa’s wrister.
Thankfully for the Blue Jackets fans sitting in the stands, Mark Letestu and Grant Clitsome managed to put a couple of pucks past Corey Crawford, avoiding a total undressing of their team by the surging Hawks.
Brent Seabrook, Steve Montador and Nick Leddy also skated away from the game with multiple points, making it a lovely joint effort and victory from the former champs. It was a glaring difference from the way the team had been playing of late, and after a 3-game losing streak, the Hawks finally got to put one in the win column.
Next up, the Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames, who have been struggling themselves with only 6 wins in 14 games so far.
About the Author
Subscribe to author's RSS feed
Written by Anna Santiago
26-year old sports writer from Calgary, Alberta. A hockey and basketball lover above all.
