Hawks Sharp in beating Jackets, Turco gets first win

COLUMBUS—Marty Turco was so good for the Blackhawks on Friday night that coach Joel Quenneville said he was “sharp.” He didn’t mean it with a capital ‘s’ but maybe he should have.Patrick Sharp broke open a one-goal game with two second-period scores to lead the Blackhawks past the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-2 on Friday. Sharp’s career best in shots coming in was 10; he had nine through two periods and finished with a Hawks team record 13. Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky each added a goal and an assist and Viktor Stalberg also had a goal for the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks. Turco followed a mediocre performance in his first two games with 30 saves.R.J. Umberger’s short-handed goal drew Columbus to 2-1 early in the second period.Midway through the period, Sharp countered with a short-handed goal of his own after Columbus’ Antoine Vermette gave up the puck with an unforced mistake in the offensive zone. Sharp swooped in on a 2-on-1 at the other end, netting a shot from near the left dot.Two minutes later, Troy Brouwer’s shot from a hard angle was deflected by goalie Steve Mason off his left leg pad — but the puck went directly to a waiting Sharp, who jammed it in for his third of the season.A capacity crowd booed the Blue Jackets — opening their 10th season — in the third period when they failed to get off a shot on a power play.Kristian Huselius added a goal in new coach Scott Arniel’s Columbus debut.

NOTES—The Blackhawks were without RW Patrick Kane (undisclosed illness) and D Brian Campbell (sprained knee)….Huselius’ goal was his third of the season and gave him goals in all three Columbus games….Niklas Hjalmarsson also didn’t play, serving the second of his two-game suspension for a hit on Buffalo’s Jason Pominville but he returnd against those likely angry Sabres Saturday night at the U.C…..Hossa has points in all five Blackhawks games, with four goals and three assists.