The host Chicago Blackhawks killed five second-period penalties — including a five-on-three PK — and Alex Stalock made 29 saves in a 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
Chicago has won four straight games. In the past three, Chicago rallied from 2-0, first-period deficits. On Tuesday, however, the Blackhawks led 2-0 in the first.
Stalock, Chicago’s backup goalie, improved to 3-1-0 this season.
Patrick Kane led the Blackhawks’ offense with one goal and one assist. Taylor Raddysh, Philipp Kurashev and Jonathan Toews (empty-netter) had Chicago’s other goals.
Eetu Luostarinen and Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers. Tkachuk leads the Panthers with four goals, and Luostarinen has three.
However, the Panthers went 0-for-6 on power plays.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 18 saves for the Panthers, who fell to 2-2-0 on the road this season.
After an interference penalty on Colin White, the Blackhawks opened the scoring just 37 seconds later on Raddysh’s power-play goal, a high shot that beat Bobrovsky’s glove on the short side.
It was the Blackhawks’ first lead in the opening period this season.
Chicago made it 2-0 on Kane’s goal with just 23 seconds left in the first period. Andreas Athanasiou got the primary assist. He skated behind the Panthers’ net before slamming on the brakes, reversing slightly and finding Kane, who sniped his goal from the right circle.
The Blackhawks extended their lead to 3-0 with 15:58 expired in the second period. Just before the goal, Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling blocked a shot off his ankle. He got up, but he was limping as Kurashev made a sweet move around him, scoring on Bobrovsky from point-blank range.
Chicago was called for four straight second-period penalties, and the Panthers even had a five-on-three for 1:35. Yet, the Panthers could not score.
Florida finally got on the board with 8:28 left in the third, on Luostarinen’s rebound goal. White got the primary assist.
With 7:13 left in the third, Florida cut its deficit to 3-2 as Tkachuk deflected in a shot by Brandon Montour.
Hanging onto that one-goal lead with 6:55 left, Chicago was called for another penalty, this time a faceoff violation on Max Domi. But the Blackhawks’ PK unit came through again.
With 1:35 left, Montour’s shot went off Stalock’s helmet. Play was stopped as Stalock’s helmet came off, but he was OK.
Toews’ empty-net goal with 23 seconds left iced the game.
–Field Level Media
