Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each had five points to lead the Blackhawks to snapping their five-game losing streak with a 8-5 win over the Capitals on Sunday afternoon at the United Center in Chicago.
Toews scored a hat trick and had two assists, while Kane tallied two goals and three assists. It’s the first time two Blackhawks each scored five points in a game since March 9, 2003, when Eric Daze and Steve Sullivan each had three goals and two assists.
Dylan Strome had two assists and an empty-net goal and Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist. Collin Delia made 34 saves for the first home victory of 2019 at the United Center by the Blackhawks or the Bulls. It’s also the first home win for the Blackhawks since a 5-2 victory over Minnesota on Dec. 27.
With the win Sunday, Chicago is no longer in last place as they move into 30th place with 43 points ahead of the idle Kings. Los Angeles hosts the Blues on Monday.
Blackhawks Cup winners — Toews, Kane, Saad, Keith, Seabrook — still have a knack for stepping up in a marquee game. Hawks are 14-4-1 vs. any defending Stanley Cup champion since 2009, including 8-1-1 at the UC.
— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) January 20, 2019
John Carlson scored two third-period goals for Washington, who dropped their fifth straight game. Dmitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen each had a goal and an assist, while Andre Burakovsky and T.J. Oshie had two assists apiece. Braden Holtby allowed four goals on 11 shots before Pheonix Copley gave up three scores on 17 shots after reveling Holtby in the second period.
Brandon Saad and Kane gave the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead at 7:56 of the first period with two goals a mere 80 seconds apart. Saad took the puck from center ice and split two Washington defenders before shooting the puck into the net stick side. Kane fired a shot from the left faceoff circle as Drake Caggiula was screening Holtby.
Brooks Orpik showed he was here at 14:25 when his shot sweaked under Delia’s right arm and into the net to make it 2-1.
Toews made it a two-goal game 28 seconds later, getting his stick on the puck in front of the net before Orlov swatted the puck into the net with his left hand.
Chris Kunitz looked to put the Blackhawks up 4-1, but after a review it was determined he slipped the puck into the net on the side after Holtby knocked the net off its moorings.
DeBrincat, however, did put the Blackhawks up 4-1 at 2:30 of the second, scoring off a one-timer from Dylan Strome as Tom Wilson overcommitted on the play.
The penalty box became a revolving door in the second period after Kane poked Alex Ovechkin in the groin from behind. Ovechkin took exception and ripped Kane’s helmet off to unveil the Chicago winger’s hair that definitely needs some treatment.
Kane and Ovechkin get into it … #Blackhawks #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/lQmHRuwTkR
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) January 20, 2019
Tom Wilson then took a shot at Duncan Keith, which Brent Seabrook took exception to and a scrum broke out.
wilson vs. keith and seabrook pic.twitter.com/sdPjAf2kS6
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) January 20, 2019
Three players from each side sat in the their respective sin bins for minor penalties. Despite all the infractions, the score remained 4-1.
About eight minutes into the middle frame, Carlson and Orlov rushed to the net on a 2-on-1, but Delia came up big with a left pad save. Delia then made two big stops against Wilson, including a sprawling stop that received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Moments later, Orlov’s sharp-angle shot beat Delia to cut the deficit to 4-2 at 15:24.
Carlson tallied his first goal of the game at 3:09 of the first period off a one-timer from the left faceoff circle to make it a one-goal game.
For the second time in the game, a Blackhawks star wasted little time increasing the lead back to two. Kane netted his second of the game 36 seconds later at 3:45 on the power play for his team-leading 29th goal of the season.
Toews made it 6-3 at 7:20 of the third on a 2-on-1 with Kane, shooting stick side on Copley.
Carlson and Niskanen scored within 3 minutes of each other to pull the Capitals within 6-5 at 13:55.
Toews killed Washington’s momentum again just 62 seconds later to make it 7-5 to complete his second hat trick of the season.
Strome added an empty-net goal at 18:11.
Up next
The Blackhawks play their final game before the NHL All-Star break and their bye week Tuesday, when they host the Islanders at the United Center.
3 Stars
- Jonathan Toews — 3 goals, 2 assists
- Patrick Kane — 2 goals, 3 assists
- John Carlson — 2 goals