COLUMBUS — During the first intermission of Saturday’s Central Division matchup, maintenance workers inside Nationwide Arena fixed the goal light on the west end of the rink. The Blackhawks reaped the benefits.
In front of a sellout crowd colored with Chicago’s red sweaters, the visitors rolled to a 6-1 victory against Columbus.
“What started out as a very promising game, the way that we were playing, ended up as a disappointment,” coach Todd Richards said. “We weren’t playing, we were going through the motions.”
Scoring opened at 5:13 of the opening frame when Derick Brassard intercepted a faulty clearing attempt from former Blue Jacket Sami Lepisto and hammered a blistering slap shot past Corey Crawford.
The goal silenced the Blackhawks’ noisy supporters, but a crafty play from Jonathan Toews at 12:27 of the opening re-energized the crowd. With one hand on his stick, Toews swept from right to left in on the goal and jammed a quick shot five-hole to make it 1-1.
“It was a big goal for them,” Columbus forward R.J. Umberger said. “That changed the game for their team and we have to find ways to do that ourselves.”
Nearly five minutes later, Viktor Stalberg scored off a centering pass from Bryan Bickell to give Chicago the 2-1 advantage. The goal marked Stalberg’s eighth of the season against the Blue Jackets and 16th overall.
Midway through the second period, the physical play that had been absent in the first 20 minutes manifested itself.
Following the first scrap of the afternoon, the Blackhawks notched a pair of goals in less than two minutes. Both marks came from Chicago’s notoriously dangerous first line of Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, and Toews.
“When you get up against guys like that you have to contain and try not to let them get the opportunities they got,” Columbus forward Ryan Russell said. “It’s unfortunate we gave them the time that they got.”
After surrendering his fourth goal of the game, Steve Mason was replaced by Allen York.
Despite the changes between the pipes, Columbus’s fortune did not improve in the third period. During a span of 49 seconds, the Blue Jackets allowed two more goals, giving the Blackhawks a five-goal advantage.
Columbus forward Derek Dorsett owned the home team’s lone highlight of the frame. Eleven seconds after Chicago made it 6-1, Dorsett traded haymakers with John Scott for the second fight of the afternoon.
On his way to the penalty box, the Blue Jackets’ enraged winger kicked his stick up the ice. The action earned him a 10-minute misconduct in addition to the penalty for instigating.
“I think that last goal pushed me over the edge,” Dorsett said. “I just snapped. It’s getting frustrating”
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