The Chicago Blackhawks snapped their three game losing streak on Sunday night as they picked up a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Teuvo Teravainen scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and Patrick Kane extended his points streak to 22 consecutive games, breaking the previous franchise record held by Bobby Hull.
The Blackhawks got off to a sluggish start in the game, generating just one shot on goal in the first nine minutes of the game, and the Jets got several chances to go ahead in the early going. Fortunately for Chicago, some big Corey Crawford saves and a strong penalty kill on an Andrew Desjardins tripping minor kept the game tied 0-0.
Later in the period, it looked like the Blackhawks had taken a 1-0 lead as Marcus Kruger had a puck bounce off his skate and into the net, but the decision on the ice was reversed as officials ruled that he had used a distinct kicking motion to do so.
Late in the frame, the Blackhawks made sure that they scored a goal within the rules and seized a 1-0 lead. Brent Seabrook slapped a low shot that knuckled along the ice, and after Marian Hossa fought off a check attempt by Bryan Little he slid a shot past Michael Hutchinson to put the Hawks in front.
The end of the period saw even more fireworks as several players engaged in a heated wrestling match. Bryan Bickell touched off the fracas by drilling Dustin Byfuglien on an open-ice hit, but Byfuglien was the only one who was tagged with a penalty as the Hawks got a power play that carried over into the second period.
As the second period got underway, the Blackhawks’ power play fell by the wayside, but it took an odd play for the Jets to take advantage. During a netfront scramble, Tobias Enstrom tossed the puck to the front of the crease, and Chris Thorburn lifted his wrists and put a shot just underneath the crossbar. Video review was necessary to get the call right, but the officials eventually confirmed the goal and allowed Winnipeg to tie things at 1-1.
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The second period also featured a frightening collision involving Thorburn and Trevor Daley. Daley fired a pass up the ice, but he fell down during his follow-through and collided violently with Thorburn. A stretch was brought out for Daley, but he didn’t need it as he got up and was led off the ice.
As the third period got underway, the Blackhawks’ top line immediately came out and generated pressure, and they scored to seize the lead. Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa both had chances denied, but when Brent Seabrook feathered a pass to Teuvo Teravainen, the youngster fired a shot inside the near post to put the Blackhawks up by a 2-1 margin.
Both teams traded unsuccessful power plays in the middle stages of the period, but the Hawks were finally able to add an insurance goal with Winnipeg’s net empty. Patrick Kane extended his point streak to 22 games on the play, batting a pass forward to Artemi Panarin, who fires it into the empty cage to make it a 3-1 game.
