Kent Johnson scores 2 goals, the Blue Jackets beat the Blackhawks 5-1 to end a 4-game losing streak
Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski, right, looks for a shot as Los Angeles Kings' Phillip Danault, left, defends during the overtime period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: AP/Jay LaPrete
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Zach Werenski scored and had two assists and Kent Johnson scored twice for the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 5-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday to end a four-game losing streak.
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 and Petr Mrazek made 16 saves for the Blackhawks.
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.
Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner celebrates his goal scored against the Arizona Coyotes during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. Credit: AP/Ross D. Franklin
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.
