Following Thursday’s 3-0 loss in Chicago, the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to play with an increased tempo in Saturday’s rematch in Columbus, and for two periods, the plan appeared to work. The plan, however, backfired as the Blue Jackets were handed their third consecutive loss as the Blackhawks defeated the Blue Jackets 6-5.

Captain Rick Nash broke a career-long 11 game goalless streak with a pair of goals in a losing effort.

“I know my goals come in bunches,” Nash said. “I stick with it. It is more important for the two points. That is what we are desperate for.”

"When you're not scoring it points to your top scorer and I think that is unfair to Rick,” Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. “There are a lot of top scorers for other teams in the NHL that don't kill penalties, don't do all the grunt work… we tell him to do everything and it takes a special player to do that."

Saturday’s game was a match full of streaks. The Blackhawks took a 3-1 12:08 into the game. Blackhawks forwards Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer gave the team the 2-0 lead early on.

Blue Jackets forward scoring from a cross-crease feed from Jakub Voracek 11:44 into the first. Marian Hossa answered less than 24 seconds later to regain Chicago’s two goal lead. The Blue Jackets fired back with three goals in a row.

Nash scored his first of two with less than two minutes remaining in the first when he put back a rebound from an R.J. Umberger shot. Columbus outscored Chicago 2-0 in the second period as defenseman Kris Russell added in with his fifth goal of the season 3:25 into the second.

Nash scored his second of the game less than four minutes later.

After the Blue Jackets nursed a one goal lead against a dangerous group of Blackhawks, Jonathan Toews scored a pair and Ben Eager notched a goal of his own in the middle of the third period to put Chicago up 6-4.

Columbus tried to rally with a breakaway goal by Raffi Torres.

"It was a wide-open hockey game,” Hitchcock said. “I thought both teams' defenses were vulnerable. We had a lot of chances to score and we had chances. We poured a lot into today and didn’t get the result."

Saturday’s game was reminiscent of games played earlier in the season when the Blue Jackets were playing winning hockey with the offense leading the charge and the defense lagging. Though the defense has played better recently, the team’s offense has struggled mightily.

 It appears Hitchcock’s wear-them-down style of play is unpopular in the dressing room.

“Personally, I enjoy those games,” Blue Jackets forward Antoine Vermette said about playing an up-tempo style. “It is a lot of fun… At the end of the day, you have to find that style that will make you successful as a team.”

“We are always trying to play that way,” Nash said. “It is a style that you have to play, especially against teams that are so talented like Chicago.”

Not so fast. Hitchcock style hockey does not call for wide-open hockey. It is a style that requires tight checking and defense. “Opening it up is one thing, but being careless (is another),” Hitchcock said. “When you play, Chicago and you play a game like this, you don’t want to play wide open against them. If you do, you’re going to get burned just like we did tonight.”

Columbus plays host to St. Louis on Monday, then departs for another road trip.