Blackhawks set record for best start to season
Saad gets winner in 2-1 victory over San Jose; Tough call leads to Panthers’ loss to Penguins
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The Chicago Blackhawks set a new NHL record for the best start to a season when they scored a point in a 17th consecutive game by defeating the San Jose Sharks on Friday.
Rookie Brandon Saad’s short-handed third-period goal delivered the game-winner as the Blackhawks remained undefeated in regulation play this season.
“I just took him [Sharks defenseman Brent Burns] wide and tried to get a shot off and luckily I beat him [goalie Antti Niemi] to the glove side,” Saad told reporters. “It’s nice to make history.” The Anaheim Ducks set the previous record of 16 straight games with a point to open the 2006-07 season. Chicago tied that mark in a win on Tuesday. All three Chicago losses have come in shootouts.
“It’s kind of crazy to think you’re not going to lose a game in regulation for the first 17 games,” said Viktor Stalberg, who scored the Blackhawks’ first goal. “It’s a cool thing to be a part of.” The Blackhawks have not lost a regular season game in regulation since March 25, 2012, a run of 23 games.
Saad rifled a shot past Niemi on the glove side 2:24 into the third as league-leading Chicago won its fourth game in a row.
The shot was the Blackhawks’ first short-handed goal of the season.
Stalberg’s goal game in the second period to tie the contest as he banked a shot from behind the goal line off Niemi’s left pad and it dribbled into the net.
Netminder Ray Emery made 26 saves in an impressive performance as the Blackhawks stopped all four San Jose power play attempts.
“It’s a team effort,” said Emery, who has started the last four games for the injured Corey Crawford. “It’s been that way since the start of the year. The record came, but more importantly we’ve been able to focus and refocus after big wins and tight games.”
Patrick Marleau had given the Sharks the early lead, collecting his 11th goal of the season in the closing seconds of the first period.
A busy Niemi stopped 32 shots in net for the Sharks.
Penguins 3, Panthers 1
PITTSBURGH – Florida Panthers coach Kevin Dineen couldn’t hide his frustration after watching his young goalie Jacob Markstrom stand tall in the net and see his team play the star-laden Pittsburgh Penguins even up after two periods only to see a controversial penalty call by the officials determine the outcome.
Tied at 1-1 heading into the third period, Tomas Kopecky was called for a slashing penalty against Penguins goalie MarcAndre Fleury, a similar play that Penguins forward Chris Kunitz got away with on his second-period power-play goal.
That gave the Penguins’ potent powerplay unit the chance they needed to capitalize on as just seconds after the penalty expired defenseman Matt Niskanen onetimed a pass from Kris Letang and ripped a straightaway slapper past Markstrom at 7:49 of the third period for the winning goal in a disappointing loss Friday night at a sold-out Consol Energy Center.
Markstrom, making just his seventh career NHL start and first in 13 months, was outstanding as he finished with 37 saves against the league’s second-most prolific offense with superstars such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and leading goal scorer James Neal.
Although they always seem to play the Penguins close in Pittsburgh, the Panthers have lost eight straight in the Steel City and eight of the last nine against them overall. Tied after two periods, the Panthers had a chance to creep within one point of Southeast Division leaders Hurricanes and Lightning. It didn’t happen. Following an ice-long rush and shot by Malkin, Gudbranson shoved him to the ice, but Malkin slid headfirst into boards. A scrum ensued as a dazed Malkin eventually got up and skated to the dressing room.
Moments later, Kopecky repeatedly jabbed at Fleury’s glove, which raised the ire of his teammates. Another group hug ensued but this time the referee gave Kopecky a slashing penalty.
Giving the Penguins a third-period power-play is akin to giving Bill Gates cash for his birthday. As the penalty expired, Niskanen gave the Penguins a 21 lead with 12:11 remaining.
The proverbial coffin nail came with 4:45 left when an unguarded Dustin Jeffrey poked in a pass from Matt Cooke for his first of the season.