Blue Jackets Dominate Blackhawks to End 9-Game Losing Streak

Blue Jackets’ Kirill Marchenko and Cole Sillinger each contributed a goal and an assist, while Adam Boqvist added two assists, helping their team break a 9-game winless streak and secure a victory against the Blackhawks (5-11-4). Elvis Merzlikins stood strong in the net with 33 saves.

Coach Pascal Vincent expressed, “We played the right way today, managing the blue lines and showcasing our ability to create plays through hard work. We’ve had the pieces of our game in the past, but today everything connected offensively. Elvis’s key saves at crucial moments elevated the team’s performance.”

On the other side, Connor Bedard notched his 10th goal for the Blackhawks (5-12-0), but it wasn’t enough as they suffered their fifth consecutive loss. Goaltender Petr Mrazek made 13 saves on 18 shots before being replaced by Arvid Soderblom, who made six saves.

Chicago coach Luke Richardson expressed his disappointment, saying, “It was not a fun game for us. We failed to move our feet early on, and Columbus took advantage of our lack of motivation. Bizarre bounces on the goals didn’t help our cause in the first period. In the second period, we collapsed and found ourselves chasing around on the wrong side of the puck, falling into the trap of doing everything we’re not supposed to do.”