The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered their second loss in as many days Friday night at Nationwide Arena.
The Blue Jackets got off to a slow start in the first period of their 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, allowing forward Patrick Kane and defenseman Brent Seabrook each to score a goal within the first six minutes.
“We shot from the top,” Jackets coach Scott Arniel said. “A lot of good things happened, and some things went wrong.”
But the Blue Jackets seemed to refocus following the goals, using a slow tempo to control the puck and hold it on offense, giving themselves time to set up a shot on goal.
Once the offense settled down, the Blue Jackets answered the Blackhawks’ two goals with one of their own by forward Maksim Mayorov, his first ever in the NHL.
“I was getting played,” Mayorov said, “but I just tried to tip it in.”
The Blue Jackets’ second point came in the second period, with a power-play goal by center Derick Brassard, his 16th of the season.
“It’s been 11 games since our last score on a power play,” Brassard said.
He attributed the goal to what the team has been working on in practice.
The game was close in the third period when a goal from Jackets center Samuel Pahlsson was answered almost immediately by the Blackhawks, tying the score at 3.
The back-and-forth pace kept both teams moving throughout the third period, but failed to produce anymore points for either team, causing a tie and moving the game into overtime.
Neither team was able to score in overtime, despite multiple shots on goal at both ends of the ice. This sent the game into a shootout to determine the winner.
Both teams went through three shooters before Chicago was able to score a goal, taking a 4-3 lead and clinching the game.
The Blue Jackets will be looking for a win at 5 p.m. Sunday in a home matchup against the St. Louis Blues.
