Chicago Blackhawks

Nylander Overtime Goal Lifts Maple Leafs Over Blackhawks

Seabrook, Schmaltz score power play goals for Blackhawks, who lose fourth straight game

William Nylander scored on a penalty shot 6 seconds into overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win over the sagging Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

Nylander was awarded the attempt after he broke in alone on Jeff Glass from the opening faceoff in the extra period, but was hooked from behind by Chicago's Duncan Keith. Nylander scored the game-winner and his 10th goal by faking Glass and then burying a high backhander to send the Blackhawks to their fourth straight defeat.

Toronto's Nazem Kadri connected for his 15th goal, a power-play score that snapped a seven-game scoring drought and was just his second goal in 20 games. Mitch Marner also scored for the Maple Leafs, who won the second time in seven games.

Brent Seabrook and Nick Schmaltz scored power-play goals for Chicago, which snapped an 0-for-16 drought with the man advantage. Schmaltz's goal, at 7:55 of the third period, tied it at 2.

Seabrook's first-period score was the Blackhawks' first power-play goal at home since Dec. 8 against Buffalo, ending a span of 33 failed chances over 10 games.

Toronto's Frederik Andersen made 34 saves. Glass finished with 33.

Eight of Toronto's last nine games have been decided by one goal. In the Maple Leafs' 4-2 loss to Colorado on Monday, the Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog finished the scoring with a late empty-netter.

Seabrook's power-play goal opened the scoring 5:29 in. His shot from the top of the right circle deflected off the stick of Toronto's Leo Komarov and flipped past Andersen.

An apparent goal by Toronto's Connor Carrick, from a faceoff at 14:11, was waved off when James van Riemsdyk ran into Glass from the side of the crease.

Marner was credited with tying it 1-all with 3:23 left in the first to cap a scramble in the Chicago zone. After Glass made a couple of tough saves, Jake Gardiner's shot from the top of the left circle struck Marner in traffic and deflected in.

Andersen came up with the sharper stops in the scoreless second. He made a glove save on Anthony Duclair from the slot at 1:33, then a pair of close-in rapid-fire saves on Patrick Sharp and Ryan Hartman midway through the period.

Kadri put Toronto ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 4:58 of the third. He connected from the right edge of the crease when he one-timed in a pinpoint, cross-ice feed from Tyler Bozak.

Schmaltz's goal 2:57 later tied it at 2 and withstood a video review. From a goalmouth scrum, Schmaltz fired in a loose puck from the right side of the crease and with Andersen down. The puck crossed the goal line just before Chicago's Artem Anisimov tumbled over the Toronto goalie.

Glass stopped Nylander point-blank with 4:02 left following Jorden Oesterle's turnover to preserve the tie.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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