NHL Chicago's rally tops Columbus



The Blackhawks ended a five-game losing streak with the 4-3 win.
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Blackhawks finally figured a way to win a close game.
Kyle Calder scored with 4:32 remaining in the third period to lift Chicago to a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets and end a five-game losing streak. Even with the win, the Blackhawks are 13-27 in games decided by one goal.
"That's kind of been the story since the Olympic break," Calder said.
Calder scored his 25th goal of the season, beating Pascal Leclaire with a shot from 25 feet out in the slot.
Blue Jackets tie game
Chicago had taken a 3-2 lead with 6:45 left in the third on Mark Bell's 5-on-3 power-play goal. But just 15 seconds later, Columbus' Sergei Fedorov picked off a pass from Martin Lapointe and scored a short-handed goal to tie it 3-all.
The Blue Jackets, however, made the next mistake and Calder pounced on it.
Columbus coach Gerard Gallant said Calder simply cashed in on a breakdown in the Blue Jackets' zone.
"There were three guys in the middle and nobody wanted the puck," Gallant said. "It was just one of those things where everybody thought the other guy was going to get it and it didn't happen like that.
Other Blackhawk goals
Radim Vrbata and Dustin Byfuglien also scored for Chicago, which won for only the second time in nine games.
Fedorov also assisted on scores by David Vyborny and Rick Nash.
Craig Anderson made 13 saves for Chicago, but Leclaire was far busier, stopping 37 shots.
Vyborny's goal with 44 seconds left in the first period opened the scoring.
Deflected goal
Anderson made a pad save on Adam Foote's drive from the point, but the rebound deflected off the skate of Chicago's Michal Barinka and through Anderson's legs. Vyborny pushed the loose puck into the net as it neared the goal line.
Vrbata's power-play goal with 7:52 left in the second period tied it 1-1. He beat Leclaire from the left circle.
Byfuglien gave Chicago a 2-1 lead with 2:10 left in the second, scoring through a screen from the right point just after a Blackhawks power play had elapsed.
Nash's power-play goal 50 seconds into the third tied it 2-all. It was his 31st goal of the season.
Bell's power-play goal, on a drive from the top of the slot with 6:45 left in the third, gave Chicago a 3-2 lead. But Fedorov replied 15 seconds later.