The Chicago Blackhawks have fallen three times to the Winnipeg Jets this season, but they got a measure of revenge on Friday night as Brandon Saad’s overtime goal lifted them to a 2-1 victory at the MTS Centre.
Patrick Kane also scored a goal in the second period of the game, and Corey Crawford made 20 saves as the Blackhawks snapped a brief two-game losing streak. Mark Scheifele scored the lone goal of the evening for the Jets.
The first period got started with the two teams taking care of a small bit of business, as Daniel Carcillo fought Chris Thorburn. Carcillo had been suspended for six games recently for a cross-check hit on Mathieu Perreault, and the fight served as a bit of revenge for the Jets and both players were sent to the box after a lengthy scrap.
Just three minutes later, it was Winnipeg that seemed to gain the upper hand in momentum as they scored. After an unlucky bounce off an official, Scheifele got the puck in the offensive zone and managed to deke his way through the defense and past Crawford to give the jets a 1-0 lead just over four minutes into the contest.
Despite going down early, the Blackhawks did have a chance to even the score about halfway through the frame, but the Jets were able to kill off the penalty and hold onto their slim lead through 20 minutes of play.
In the second period, both teams saw their offenses ground to a halt as the defenses clamped down. In total in the period, there were only nine shots on goal, but one did find its way into the back of the net as the Blackhawks tied things up early in the period. Kane was the one doing the honors for the Hawks as he got in behind the Jets’ defense and made a nifty move before firing a shot into the top shelf of the net to make it a 1-1 game.
The third period of the game didn’t see any scoring, but there was plenty of action as both teams came really close to taking the lead late. Crawford and Michael Hutchinson were both up to the task however, and the duo combined to stop 14 shots as the game remained tied at the end of regulation.
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In the overtime, it appeared that the two teams would be forced to go to a shootout, but Kane ended those thoughts late in the frame. Getting the puck in the offensive zone, Kane made a quick move behind the net, forcing Hutchinson to kick across the crease to defend the far post. Kane’s wraparound attempt was thwarted, but the puck kicked back out into the slot and Saad hammered home a one-timer on the rebound to give the Blackhawks the victory.
The Hawks will next take to the ice on Sunday morning when they tangle with the St. Louis Blues. The game will start at 11:30 a.m., and will air on NBC Chicago after the first edition of “Quest for the Cup,” which begins at 11 a.m.
