Jonathan Toews lifts Blackhawks to 6th straight win with 4-3 OT victory over Canucks

Jonathan Toews scored in overtime to help the Blackhawks extend their season-long win streak to six games with a 4-3 victory over the Canucks on Thursday night at the United Center in Chicago.

Dylan Strome had three primary assists, including both of Alex DeBrincat’s goals. Brandon Saad also scored a power-play goal. Rookie goaltender Collin Delia made 40 saves to pull the Blackhawks within two points of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Alex Biega, Josh Leivo and Elias Pettersson scored for Vancouver. Jacob Markstrom stopped 31 of 35 shots as the Canucks slid out of the playoff picture.

The Blackhawks killed off four of the five penalties committed, including being on a 5-on-3 disadvantage twice. DeBrincat and Saad scored power-play goals 1:23 apart in the first period.

Kane looked to DeBrincat then sent a pass to Strome near the goal line, where Strome slipped the puck through Jonathan Toews’ legs to DeBrincat at the left face-off dot for a 1-0 lead.

Seabrook fired a shot from the blue line that Markstrom was unable to corral and squirted out to Saad, who knocked in the rebound for his 18th of the season to give the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead at 18:58.

The Canucks tied the game less than five minutes into the second period.

Biega fired a shot from the blue line through traffic and past Delia to put the Canucks on the scoreboard at 2:20. Leivo skated inside the left circle and ripped a wrist shot over Delia’s glove to tie it 2-2.

Murphy slid a backhanded pass through two Canucks to Strome, who corralled the puck and sent a no-look backhand pass of his own to DeBrincat inside the circle for a one-timer and his 28th goal of the season to match a career-high.

The Blackhawks nearly extended their lead a Loui Eriksson interference penalty. Dominik Kahun raced in on a 2-on-1 breakaway with Artem Anisimov, but the Russian center wasn’t unable to corral the bouncing pass for a shot on net.

Brendan Perlini committed a high-sticking penalty with 3:36 left in the third period, and Pettersson cashed in when his shot redirected off Delia’s mask and into the net to send the game to overtime.

Delia redeemed himself when he denied Pettersson, who leads rookies in scoring, on a breakaway in overtime.

Toews raced around Brandon Tanev then sent a forehand shot right in front of the net past Markstrom for the win.

Up next

Chicago has two days off before hosting Detroit on Sunday afternoon at the United Center.

3 Stars

1. Dylan Strome (CHI) — 3 primary assists
2. Collin Delia (CHI) — 40 saves
3. Jonathan Toews (CHI) — Game-winning goal