Blackhawks capitalize on mistakes to top Blue Jackets, split two-game set

CHICAGO --Pius Suter and Patrick Kane each scored off a turnover by Elvis Merzlikins in the third period, and the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 at United Center on Sunday.

Suter gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead at 7:41, intercepting a pass by Merzlikins along the boards and then shooting off the goalie's left pad as he tried to scramble back into the net.
"One just before it, [Merzlikins] went the other way, so I tried to read it and see if it was on his backhand," Suter said. "I went there, and luckily for me [he] kind of bobbled it there, then I just put it on net. Probably the right timing because he maybe wasn't ready or went down a little bit late."
Merzlikins mishandled the puck behind the net later in the period, turning it over this time to Philipp Kurashev, who passed to Kane for a shot from below the right face-off circle into an open net to make it 3-1 at 13:40.
"I messed up big time," Merzlikins said. "I take all the responsibility on my shoulders. I'm not going to go into excuses, but the luck wasn't on my side this time. The puck got stuck on the board, I shoot it on the backhand. But goalies aren't that good on the backhand, so maybe I shouldn't shoot maybe on the backhand. I should shoot on the forehand. I mess up not once, but twice. The team doesn't deserve this."

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said, "[Merzlikins] has to play on the other side of the ice. The right play was behind him. That's part of his game is moving the puck, and he's usually pretty good at it. He has to eat [the loss], and I know it'll be difficult for him. He's matured and he's been here, and he'll be ready to play next game."
Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves for Chicago (3-4-3), which split the two-game set against Columbus to end a three-game skid (0-1-2).
"Every single game, every single period I'm out there, I feel more and more relaxed. I get more and more confidence," said Lankinen, who is 3-1-2 with a 1.97 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in his first six NHL starts. "I don't like to judge my game by the numbers that much."
Boone Jenner scored, and Merzlikins made 33 saves for Columbus (4-3-3), which had its point streak end at seven games.
"Yeah, they defend well but … we need to finish more, bear down on some chances, try to work to create more off the forecheck, off [offensive] zone play," Jenner said. "We need to score more than one."
Kurashev finished a 3-on-2 rush with a tap-in at the left post to give Chicago a 1-0 lead at 12:32 of the first period.

Jenner tied it 1-1 at 17:28 when he knocked in the rebound from Jack Roslovic's shot. Roslovic's assist was his first point with the Blue Jackets since the Columbus native was acquired with forward Patrik Laine in a trade from the Winnipeg Jets for Pierre-Luc Dubois on Jan. 23.
"You know that was all Boone there, from the blocked shot in the [defensive] zone to chipping it in and battling out and getting a self-chip, and then just hitting me," Roslovic said. "I just shot it on net, and he just finished it up and buried it."
Lankinen made a blocker save on Alexandre Texier's wrist shot from the right circle during an odd-man rush to keep the game tied at 6:06 of the second period.
"Ton of credit to that group in there," Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. "They really competed hard and did a lot of little things away from the puck. We were hard in puck battles when we needed to. Obviously, [Lankinen] made some big saves for us. A couple big (penalty) kills for us particularly at the end."
NOTES: Kane has 1,032 points (393 goals, 639 assists), one shy of tying Doug Weight (1,033) for sixth among U.S.-born players in NHL history. … Chicago played with 12 forwards and six defensemen after it used 11 forwards and seven defensemen the previous two games. … Forward Reese Johnson had one shot and a Blackhawks-high seven hits in 10:56 of ice time in his NHL debut.