Blue Jackets Extend Winning Streak to 7 Games with Shutout Victory Over Blackhawks

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The Columbus Blue Jackets extended their winning streak to seven games with a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Defenseman Zach Werenski scored his 20th goal of the season, becoming the first defenseman to reach that milestone before the Olympic break. Jet Greaves recorded his second shutout of the season, making 21 saves, while Ivan Provorov, Danton Heinen, and Sean Monahan also scored for the Blue Jackets.

Why it matters

The Blue Jackets' impressive run has put them back in playoff contention, as they now sit just two points behind the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division. Werenski's milestone performance is also noteworthy, as he joins an elite group of American defensemen to score 20 goals in consecutive seasons.

The details

The Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, with Werenski and Provorov scoring goals. Heinen and Monahan added insurance goals in the later stages of the game. Greaves was solid in net, recording his fourth career shutout. The victory marked the first time since 2020 that the Blue Jackets had shutouts in back-to-back games, and the first time since 2019 that they'd accomplished the feat on consecutive nights with different goalies.

• Werenski scored his 20th goal of the season at 4:46 of the first period.
• Provorov made it 2-0 at 12:50 of the first period.

What’s next

The Blue Jackets will look to continue their hot streak when they face the Boston Bruins on February 26th, while the Blackhawks will take on the Nashville Predators on the same date.