Chicago,  IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw both tallied 
twice,  as  Chicago trounced Columbus  for the  12th consecutive time, 6-1, at 
United Center. 

Bryan  Bickell and  Brandon  Bollig also  hit  the  back of  the  net for  the 
Blackhawks,  winners  in two  of  three  to keep  pace  in  the race  for  the 
Central  Division crown. St. Louis beat Nashville by a 2-1 count to remain two 
points ahead. 

Brent  Seabrook and  Marcus Kruger  each  collected two  assists, while  Corey 
Crawford stopped 22 shots. 

Ryan  Johansen  provided the lone offense  for the Blue Jackets, who saw their 
three-game  win streak halted and have not beaten their former division rivals 
since a 4-3 decision on Feb. 18, 2011. 

Sergei Bobrovsky allowed four goals on 18 shots in 32-plus minutes to take the 
loss. Curtis McElhinney finished the contest with 13 stops. 

Ahead  by  a goal,  Chicago locked  up the  contest with  three strikes in the 
middle frame. 

Toews  provided a  3-1 margin  at  the eight-minute  mark of  the second  when 
he  tapped in  a Brandon Saad pass  at the right post, and Bickell boosted the 
home  advantage to 4-1  with 12:29 gone off a Kris Versteeg rebound which sent 
Bobrovsky to the bench. 

Seabrook's  left-point blast  with 2:16 before intermission was deflected home 
by Shaw and gave Chicago a 5-1 edge. 

Patrick Kane fed Toews for a rising shot over a seated McElhinney for a power- 
play strike and 6-1 advantage at 3:04 of the third. 

Bollig's  backhanded  shot put  the hosts on  the board with  4:12 gone in the 
first  period,  then Johansen evened the  score just prior to the eight-minute 
mark. 

Shaw  sent the Blackhawks to intermission up by a goal, when he cruised up the 
right wing and beat Bobrovsky to the near side. 

                                   Game Notes 

Thursday's  contest marked  the first  time  the Blackhawks  and Blue  Jackets 
squared  off  as inter-conference  rivals. Columbus was  placed in the Central 
Division  along with  Chicago upon its 2000 inception and remained their until 
this  season  ... Blue Jackets defenseman  Nikita Nikitin left the game in the 
first  period, returned in  the second, then left once more and did not return 
with what is being called an upper-body injury.