HAWKS SNAP JACKET LOSING STREAK

COLUMBUS-- Patrick Sharp scored on a third-period breakaway to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

Radim Vrbata had a first-period goal for the Blackhawks, and Matthew Barnaby added an empty-netter. Craig Anderson had 27 saves for Chicago, which had lost three in a row to the Blue Jackets this season.

Manny Malhotra scored for Columbus. The Blue Jackets have scored only five goals in four games since the Olympic break.

Sharp made it 2-1 at 6:01 of the final period. Kyle Calder chipped the puck out to the left wing where Sharp was streaking all alone. He sped to the right corner of the goal and lifted the puck over goalie Marc Denis for his eighth goal of the season.

After a scoreless opening period, the Blue Jackets finally scored midway through the second period. Malhotra took a pass from Jason Chimera, with Chimera then providing traffic in front of the net. Malhotra's shot from just inside the right point eluded Anderson for his third goal of the season.

Columbus had two good chances to add to the lead. David Vyborny had a short-handed breakaway but Anderson stuffed his backhand try. Rick Nash then swooped up the left wing on a rush and crashed the net but was stopped.

Vrbata tied it with 2:06 left in the period. Tyler Arnason skated in for a shot that Denis stopped, the long rebound caroming off the skate of defenseman Ron Hainsey and sliding to Vrbata for a hard one-timer at the right dot. It was Vrbata's ninth goal.

Barnaby's empty-netter was his seventh of the season.

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