Brandon Saad's Goal Lifts Blackhawks Past Hurricanes In OT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Saad missed an early opportunity for the Chicago Blackhawks, but he rose to the occasion when it really counted.
Saad scored at 1:44 of overtime to give Chicago a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. His penalty-shot attempt was stopped by Scott Darling less than two minutes into the game.
Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and Gustav Forsling had one for Chicago, which scored three times after falling behind 3-1. DeBrincat and Forsling also assisted on Saad's game-winner.
"That's a big comeback win and one we needed in the room," DeBrincat said. "Hopefully we can keep moving with this. Getting two goals was nice. I get a few puck bounces there and get lucky and it goes in. But it was good timing for me. We definitely needed this win."
Brock McGinn had two goals and Jeff Skinner scored one for Carolina.
Chicago's Anton Forsberg had 35 saves to beat Carolina for the first time in three career meetings.
Darling, who spent the previous three seasons with the Blackhawks, stopped 26 shots for the Hurricanes.
"It was a tough segment for the power play," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "We didn't get a (power-play goal) and when you're not winning the special teams battle it makes things hard. We got some good looks when it was 3-2 but weren't able to finish."
Carolina led 2-0 after an opening period in which the Hurricanes outshot the visitors 16-15.
"I had a couple of chances early," Saad said. "You miss those chances and they end up scoring. You definitely want one, and it was great to get it in overtime. It feels good. But the biggest thing is contributing to a win."
McGinn put the Hurricanes ahead at 6:53 on a backhander from the left doorstep with assists from Derek Ryan and Justin Williams. McGinn has goals in three straight games, while Ryan has points in three straight and Williams has assists in the last three.
Skinner added his eighth of the season, unassisted from the same spot at 9:01.
The Blackhawks scored on a rush just after a power play ended at 7:34 of the second, with DeBrincat converting on Jonathan Toews' pinpoint pass to the right doorstep.
Back came Carolina at 9:58, with McGinn roofing the puck past Forsberg on a rush.
DeBrincat scored his second goal early in the third, and Forsling tied it on a blast from the left point with 9:31 remaining.
"We dug a hole again, but I thought we hung in there," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Certainly scoring that late (Forsling) goal helped. I liked their response coming in after (Carolina's) third goal."
Along with Darling, Carolina forwards Joakim Nordstrom, Teuvo Teravainen and Marcus Kruger and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk were members of the 2015 Blackhawks team that won the Stanley Cup.
NOTES: C Patrick Brown and D Klas Dahlbeck were healthy scratches for Carolina. ... C John Hayden, D Michal Kempny and D Jordan Oesterle were Chicago's healthy extras. ... The teams' other meeting is in Chicago on March 8.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: Return home on Sunday to face New Jersey in the opener of a two-game homestand.
Hurricanes: Host Dallas on Monday night to complete a two-game homestand.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.
