Chicago 2, Pittsburgh 1
When: 12:30 PM ET, Sunday, February 15, 2015
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Referees:
Frederic L'Ecuyer, Brad Watson
Linesmen:
Tim Nowak, Michel Cormier
Attendance:
22169
By SportsDirect Inc.
Blackhawks 2, Penguins 1 (SO): Patrick Sharp scored the decisive goal in the third round of the shootout as host Chicago improved to 4-0-2 in its last six contests.
The teams converted on each of their first two attempts, as David Perron and captain Sidney Crosby scored on their respective backhanded bids while Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane responded in kind. Corey Crawford made a glove save on Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang before Sharp skated in and wristed a shot under the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury to seal the win.
Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson scored his first goal in 41 contests for Chicago, which also posted a 3-2 shootout victory at Pittsburgh on Jan. 21. Toews and Pittsburgh native Brandon Saad each recorded an assist while Crawford finished with 36 saves to improve to 4-1-0 lifetime versus the Penguins.
Nick Spaling scored and Beau Bennett notched an assist while registering a career-high nine shots for Pittsburgh, which saw its two-game winning streak come to a halt. Brandon Sutter also picked up an assist and Fleury turned aside 31 shots.
After a scoreless first period, Toews cleanly won an offensive-zone faceoff and Saad edged Chris Kunitz off the puck before Hjalmarsson wired a blast from the point that beat Fleury at 3:22 of the second. The slim advantage held up until 3:54 of the third, when Bennett's sharp-angle shot from below the right faceoff circle produced a juicy rebound that Spaling shoveled past Crawford.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Chicago RW Marian Hossa was held off the scoresheet, ending a four-game goal-scoring streak that saw the 36-year-old tally seven times. ... Crosby initially was whistled for a tripping penalty late in the second period, but the officials elected to rescind the call. ... Hjalmarsson's previous goal this season came in a 5-2 win over San Jose on Nov. 9. ... Kane was whistled for four minutes in penalties, matching his total over the previous 56 games.
Top Game Performances
Pittsburgh |
|
Chicago |
Nick Spaling 1 |
Points |
Niklas Hjalmarsson 1 |
Nick Spaling 1 |
Goals |
Niklas Hjalmarsson 1 |
Beau Bennett 1 |
Assists |
Brandon Saad 1 |
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
N/A |
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
Marc-Andre Fleury .969 |
Save Percentage |
Corey Crawford .973 |
Marc-Andre Fleury 31 |
Saves |
Corey Crawford 36 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
Pittsburgh
|
37 |
1 |
0-2 |
2-2 |
6 |
34 |
Chicago
|
32 |
2 |
0-2 |
2-2 |
6 |
39 |
Upcoming Games
-
Chicago will play their next game at home against Detroit. The Blackhawks have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .783 after a loss.
-
Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against Washington. The Penguins have a W/L % of .545 after a win and .609 after a loss.