In Chicago, the Blackhawks trailed 2-1 in the third period to the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.
Alex DeBrincat scored just before the midway point in the third to get the teams even at 2-2. The score held up and the Hawks completed the rally with just 46 seconds gone in the extra session.
Jonathan Toews scored the game winner; it was his goal of the season.
“I’ve had some chances but not that many,” Toews said after scoring his first goal of the season. “So I’ve got to be better with the puck and keep pucks down low, just play a little heavier on it, get the puck up to our D-men, get some shots back.
“It feels like we’re just one and done right now, so we’ve got to find ways to get more puck possession and chances are going to come. Once the chances are there, that’s all you can really worry about — eventually they’ll go in.”
Robin Lehner made 37 saves for the win, his first with the Blackhawks.
“Felt like the first period we were a little bit sloppy and got better in the second,”
DeBrincat said. “ut when it came to the third, once we tied it up, I think we knew we needed to keep battling and not give up one before at least overtime. We knew we need a lot of intensity there, and I think we did a pretty good job of it.”
Pierre-Luc Dubois and Markus Nutivaara scored for the Blue Jackets.
“A lot of missed opportunities tonight. [If] scoring chances aren’t good enough you have to find a way, especially on the road,” the Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno said. “You get a chance, some Grade A’s like that, we’ve got to find a way to bury them. In saying that, this game could have went either way too. It’s overtime, lucky bounce, it’ll [hurt] being on the other end of them, but I liked a lot of what we did, and we’ve got to get ready to regroup, and [we have] a big divisional game tomorrow.”
Drake Caggiula also scored for the Chicago.
[WATCH: All Blue Jackets vs. Blackhawks highlights]
Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves in the loss.
“Of course it’s not the result that I wanted,” Merzlikins said. “I came here to the rink with the mindset that this is my first game. I was really [angry]. I wanted to take this game, I really wanted it. The team helped me a lot, they did huge [shot-blocking] in front of me where I didn’t see the puck, thank them for that. It was better, it wasn’t seven goals, it was just three now, so the positive is here.”
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