Short-handed Ducks pay against goal-happy Chicago
Blackhawks’ Strome, Nylander and Kane score on three straight shots late in second.
CHICAGO — Dylan Strome, Alex Nylander and Patrick Kane scored on consecutive shots late in the second period, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 6-2 victory over the Ducks on Tuesday night.
Strome scored twice and added an assist in the rout. Chicago won its third straight game while chasing a wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference. Drake Caggiula and David Kampf also scored for the Blackhawks.
“We’re a pretty streaky team,” said Strome, who snapped a 14-game goalless streak. “If we can cut the losing streaks in half, we’ll be in good shape.”
Danton Heinen and Carter Rowney scored for the Ducks, who lost for the sixth time in eight games.
The three goals in succession in 2:53 late in the second period broke open a onegoal game. Strome broke to the net and deflected Kane’s perfect pass by goaltender John Gibson for a 3-1 advantage at 15:29.
Nylander made it 4-1 with 1:53 left in the period with a backhand after a 120-foot two-on-one with Jonathan Toews to his right. Fifteen seconds later, Kane beat Gibson between the pads for his 29th goal of the season.
“You give good players like that some looks, they’re going to make you pay,” Heinen said.
Ducks coach Dallas Eakins replaced Gibson, who made 19 saves on 24 shots, with Ryan Miller for the third period. Miller made 15 saves. Another problem was losing defenseman Josh Manson to an upper-body injury in the first.
“After Manson went down early in the first period, that’s four of our top six defensemen out of the lineup,” Eakins said. “That’s a lot of pressure on those guys who are playing right now, especially against a group of skill like that.”
Chicago goaltender
Corey Crawford was replaced by Malcolm Subban for 70 seconds in the third period after the Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf caught Crawford in the head with his left knee.
The Blackhawks got off to a quick start. Caggiula slipped into the left slot and deflected Adam Boqvist’s hard pass past goaltender Gibson for Chicago’s first goal 2:07 into the game.
Chicago made it 2-0 early in the second, with Strome beating Gibson on the stick side after getting behind the Ducks’ defense.
Heinen stopped Crawford’s shutout bid 4:20 into the second. The Blackhawks killed off a five-on-three power play soon after and began to control the flow of the game.
Rowney beat Crawford with a midair deflection for the Ducks’ second goal 8:26 into the third. Crawford finished with 37 saves.