CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks scored a power play goal — their 10th in nine games — but couldn’t muster enough of a challenge against the Columbus Blue Jackets and goalie Joonas Korpisalo, losing the first of a four-game homestand, 2-1, on Friday night at the United Center.
The Hawks, who suffered their third straight defeat, continued to underperform in five-on-five. They failed to score at even strength for the first time since the season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Hawks have 11 five-on-five goals — the fewest of any team that has played at least nine games — versus 10 at five-on-four.
“It’s tough to come from behind against a team like that, and they’ve got really good goaltending,” Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “But I thought we did a lot of good things and we did more than enough to score more than one goal.”
Asked what needs to happen for the Hawks to generate more five-on-five goals, forward Dylan Strome said: “It’s a good question. I’m not sure I exactly have the answer.
“We’ve got to find a way to get pucks through from the (defense), but our forwards need to do a better job of getting in front of the net, so it’s a combination of both.”
At 8 minutes, 53 seconds of first period Friday, Oliver Bjorkstrand went top shelf on Kevin Lankinen on the Blue Jackets’ first power play to open the scoring. About 3 1/2 minutes into the second period, Bjorkstrand made a pass to a streaking Eric Robinson, who outraced Patrick Kane and beat Lankinen with a corner shot for a 2-0 Blue Jackets lead.
The Hawks answered on their third power play. Kane, playing from the left side, centered a pass to Strome, who put the puck over Korpisalo’s right shoulder for his second goal of the season.
Korpisalo entered the game with a.928 save percentage and 2.45 goals-against average and held steady through the first two periods, limiting the damage to Strome’s power-play goal despite the Hawks outshooting the Blue Jackets 23-15.
Lankinen made 25 saves.
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