Goals From Toews, Bollig Not Enough As Blackhawks Lose Rangers 3-2
CHICAGO (AP) — Carl Hagelin scored a tiebreaking goal in the third period to lead the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Marc Staal started the winning sequence with a long slap shot that was stopped by Corey Crawford, who also got in front of Hagelin's first rebound attempt. But Hagelin stayed with the play and flipped the puck into the open right side with 5:57 left.
It was Hagelin's fourth winning goal of the season, tops on the team. He also is tied for the team lead with 11 goals overall.
Brad Richards and Mats Zuccarello also scored for New York, which earned its first win in Chicago since a 3-2 victory on Jan. 16, 2009. Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves.
Jonathan Toews and Brandon Bollig scored in the second period for Chicago, which had recorded at least one point in a season-high 10 games. It was the Blackhawks' first home regulation loss since a 4-3 setback against Dallas on Dec. 3.
The Rangers and Blackhawks took turns controlling the action in the first two periods.
The first belonged to New York, which made the most of a disjointed start for Chicago. Richards scored on a wrist shot at 5:06 and Zuccarello made it 2-0 when he skated behind the net for a wraparound that banked off the paddle of Crawford's stick for a power-play score at 9:29.
Lundqvist had the secondary assist on Zuccarello's 11th goal. It was Lundqvist's second assist of the season and 14th of his career.
Chicago bounced back in the second, using a power play to get back in the game. With Derick Brassard in the box for interference, Toews beat a screened Lundqvist high on the stick side for a rebound goal at 6:17.
It was Toews' 16th of the season and first since Chicago's captain scored twice during a 7-2 victory over Colorado on Dec. 27.
The Blackhawks struck again 1:48 after Toews' goal. Bollig skated alone down the left side and tied it at 2 with a well-placed wrist shot into the lower left side of the net. It was Bollig's fourth goal of the season.
Crawford settled down after the slow start and made a nice glove save on Rick Nash on a semi-breakaway with 2:05 left in the second, keeping the game tied at 2. He also used his right pad to deny Brassard early in the third.
Crawford, who finished with 29 saves, also caught a break when Staal's shot went off the inside of the right post about 4½ minutes in the final period.
The Blackhawks had a power-play opportunity with the game tied in the third, but Lundqvist made a couple of plays to help the Rangers kill it off.
NOTES: The 26-year-old Zuccarello is tied with Richards, Hagelin and Chris Kreider for the team lead in goals. Zuccarello's previous career high was six goals when he was a rookie with New York in the 2010-11 season. ... The Blackhawks recognized their 10 Olympians on the center-ice videoboard during a break in the first period. ... New York C J.T. Miller and D Justin Falk were scratched. ... Defensemen Michael Kostka and Sheldon Brookbank were scratched for the Blackhawks.
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