CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks had already extended their NHL-record point streak once they got to overtime with the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets.
Brent Seabrook finished off a 2-on-1 rush at 3:23 of overtime to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 win over the banged-up Blue Jackets and stretch their season-opening points streak to 21 games.
The Blackhawks (18-0-3) have won eight straight overall and haven't been beaten in regulation time in 27 games, dating to a loss on March 25, 2012, to Nashville.
The Blue Jackets (5-12-4) are saddled with injuries to key players, but they skated toe-to-toe with Chicago for much of the game. Columbus failed to hold onto a pair of one-goal leads.
"They come out and play 60 minutes hard," Seabrook said. "There are no easy games, and you can never take a night off."
But Chicago finished off the Blue Jackets when Jonathan Toews carried the puck down left wing and dished a cross-ice pass to Seabrook, who fired in a shot from the right circle before goalie Steve Mason could slide across the crease.
"It was a great pass by Tazer," Seabrook said. "I just tried to get up in the play. Tazer had some speed going up, and I tried to help out."
Patrick Sharp and Bryan Bickell scored 59 seconds apart late in the second period, and Viktor Stalberg also connected in regulation for Chicago, which has earned 39 out of a possible 42 points this season.
"They had us on our heels a couple times," Bickell said. "They had a late goal, but it was good to see Seebs get on the rush and pop the OT winner.
"We were down early in this game. It shows the character in this room to come back. It's been fun. We're just having a blast right now."
Mason stopped 31 shots as he faced the Blackhawks for the second time in less than a week. He made 26 saves in a 1-0 loss to Chicago on Sunday.
"We did some pretty good things to be able to stick with those guys, but we're not doing enough to get that next goal," Mason said. "We knew it would be a real test for us because we had a lot of guys out."
"Regardless of who it us, it's still a loss," Richards said. "We still just aren't quite good enough. We battled and competed, which is what we should do, but we've got to find ways to come out on top."
Anisimov scored in his first game after he missed three because of an upper-body injury. He was hurt in Detroit on Feb. 21 when his head struck the ice.
Emery relieved Corey Crawford after the first period in St. Louis on Thursday as the two combined to shut out the Blues 3-0. Crawford was forced out by an upper-body injury. Crawford was back on the bench Friday, serving as Emery's backup.
The Blue Jackets were again without centers Brandon Dubinsky (knee) and Derick Brassard (upper body) and defensemen Jack Johnson (shoulder), James Wisniewski (broken foot) and John Moore (upper body). Moore was injured Friday during Columbus' morning skate.
Emery made a glove save on Derek Dorsett's drive from the right circle, but knocked the rebound into the slot. Prospal swooped in and fired the loose puck into the open net before Emery could react.
Stalberg tied it with 3:51 left in the first when he scored a power-play goal from the edge of the crease. Battling in a scrum, Stalberg converted a rebound of Brandon Saad's shot.
Anisimov put Columbus back ahead with 7:18 left in the second on a screened shot from the right wing. His shot appeared to glance off of Chicago's Daniel Carcillo before getting past Emery.
Mason came up with several tough saves, but was fooled when Sharp tied it at 2 with 2:40 left in the period. Sharp cut down the left wing and shoveled a backhanded shot from a sharp angle that struck Mason's blocker and slipped through.
Columbus' Mark Letestu and Matt Calvert, and Chicago's Jamal Mayers all fired shots off the post early in the third.
Johansen scored his first goal since Jan. 24, 2012, with 7:37 to make it 3-3. Following a failed clearing attempt, Johansen took a pass from Nick Foligno, broke in alone and slipped a backhander past Emery.
"You get that swagger and confidence when you're on a streak like this." Stalberg said "You have confidence you'll find a way to get it done."
NOTES: Stalberg has 11 goals and two assists in 15 games against Columbus. ... Blackhawks C Dave Bolland missed his fourth game because of an upper-body injury. ... The United Center crowd of 21,828 was the Blackhawks' 200th straight sellout. ... Columbus recalled D Dalton Prout from Springfield of the AHL. The 22-year-old Prout played in his sixth NHL game.
Link: [Live Football] Feyenoord - FC Utrecht - Dutch Eredivisie
No comments:
Post a Comment