Fritsche's Two Goals Lead Blue Jackets Past Blackhawks, 4-3
Letowski (1 g, 1 a) and Vyborny (2a) each contrinute two points

Fritsche scored his second goal of the night at 6:47 of the third period, taking a feed from Letowski, who found Fritsche with open ice around the right face off circle. Fritsche fired a slap shot past Chicago goaltender Craig Anderson, giving the Jackets a 3-2 lead.

Letowski scored what turned out to be the game winner three minutes later, stealing the puck from the Blackhawk defense and beating Anderson over his left shoulder, for a 4-2 lead.

Chicago cut the deficit to one later in the third period, scoring while both teams were down a man, as Brent Seabrook’s goal brought Chicago within 4-3. But Marc Denis and the Columbus defense would shut the door, sealing the one-goal victory. Denis stopped 28-of-31 shots on the evening, to earn the win.

The Blue Jackets took an early 1-0 advantage at 6:37 of the first, with Fritsche scoring his first of the night on a breakaway, set up by a pass from Vyborny. All alone with Chicago’s starter in goal, Michael Leighton, Fritsche beat him top shelf to the glove side. The Blackhawks would tie the score at 18:51, when Rene Bourque lit the lamp on a power-play goal, knotting the score at one at the first intermission. 

Columbus retook the lead at 7:15 of the second period, as Mark Hartigan’s slap shot from the right face off circle gave the Jackets a 2-1 lead. The power-play goal was assisted by Vyborny and rookie Gilbert Brule. Chicago tied the score once again at 17:25 of the second period, scoring their second power-play goal of the night, scored by Tyler Arnason to tie the score at two.

For the evening, the Blackhawks out shot the Blue Jackets, 31-21, while Columbus finished 1-for-13 on the power play and killed off 9-of-11 Blackhawk power-play attempts.

Columbus will return to action on Sunday night, playing host to the Nashville Predators in a 5 p.m. contest that will wrap up the Blue Jackets preseason slate.