Blackhawks top Coyotes in OT
CHICAGO – Caleb Jones scored 3:37 into overtime and Jaxson Stauber made 24 saves, helping the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on Friday night.
Andreas Athanasiou had a goal and two assists as Chicago rallied for the win in a matchup of two of the NHL’S worst teams. Colin Blackwell and Seth Jones also scored, and Stauber improved to 3-0 in three career starts – all this season.
Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists for Arizona, and Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist. Connor Ingram made 40 stops.
Blackwell snapped a 2-2 tie when he stuffed home a loose puck 14:34 into the third period. But Nick Bjugstad responded for Arizona, beating Stauber from the high slot with 2:27 remaining.
The Blackhawks played without captain Jonathan Toews, who missed his second straight game with a NON-COVID-19 illness. He could return on the team’s
four-game road trip.
Chicago trailed 2-1 after the first period, but Athanasiou flipped a backhand by Ingram on the goaltender’s glove side 2:43 into the second. It was Athanasiou’s 11th goal of the season.
The Blackhawks appeared to move in front when Taylor Raddysh knocked in a great pass by Max Domi with 11:57 left in the second, but it was waved off for interference after Domi collided with Ingram.
Bjugstad had a prime scoring opportunity for Arizona about 6 1/2 minutes into the third, but he was denied by Stauber.
Keller helped Arizona get off to a fast start, converting a wrist shot from the left circle 1:28 into the first period. It was the first shot on goal for either team.
Then Keller set up Schmaltz’s one-timer with a pass through the legs of Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy. Schmaltz’s 12th goal of the season in his 400th career game made it 2-0 at 12:34.
Chicago got on the board on Seth Jones’ sixth goal at 13:53. The All-star defenseman, who also scored during Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to Anaheim, beat Ingram right after Boris Katchouk was unable to finish a drive to the net.
WORTH NOTING
Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi is expected to return to the lineup Saturday night at Winnipeg. Tinordi (facial fracture) hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 18. “Get fresh legs in tomorrow, against a bigger team, too,” coach Luke Richardson said . ... Keller became the fifth player from the 2016 draft to record 300 career points, joining Auston Matthews (510), Matthew Tkachuk (453), Patrik Laine (358) and Alex Debrincat (348).