Nick Foligno, Nikita Zaitsev and Taylor Hall scored first-period goals, and Petr Mrazek made 38 saves to boost the host Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-2 win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Playing for the first time since losing 8-1 at Arizona on Monday, the Blackhawks seized control midway through the first period, beating Panthers goaltender Anthony Stolarz three times in a span of 6:14.
Chicago opened the scoring with a power-play goal, as Foligno corralled the puck after Seth Jones’ shot from the point ricocheted off traffic in front of the net.
Zaitsev made it 2-0 Blackhawks a short time later, flashing open through the slot and converting a pass from Philipp Kurashev, who picked up the first of two assists on the night.
Hall completed the early barrage by picking up his first goal with the Blackhawks in his return to the lineup from a one-game absence because of a shoulder injury.
Saturday was Florida’s 10th game of the season and marked the first time one of its contests has been decided by more than two goals.
Stolarz made 19 saves for the Panthers, who finished 1-2 on a road trip that included an overtime loss in Boston and a shutout victory at Detroit.
Connor Bedard, the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, provided Chicago with a 4-0 lead early in the second period, scoring for the third straight game and the fourth time in the past five.
Chicago improved to 4-0-0 when it has scored four or more goals in a game this season.
Florida solved Mrazek with a pair of goals in the third period, as the club’s consistent pressure at last paid off. The Panthers, who outshot the Blackhawks 40-24, broke through on Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s power-play goal 6:33 into the period.
With heavy traffic in front of the Chicago net, Matthew Tkachuk brought Florida within 4-2 at 12:29 of the third, scoring his second goal of the season while tallying his 500th career point.
Carter Verhaeghe contributed two assists for the Panthers.
Kurashev cemented a three-point night with an empty-net goal with 9.1 seconds to play as the Blackhawks earned their first home victory of the season.
–Field Level Media
