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Blackhawks End 8-Game Losing Streak With 7-1 Win Over Capitals

CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Toews had a goal and two assists and the Chicago Blackhawks ripped the Washington Capitals, 7-1, on Saturday night to end an eight-game losing streak.

Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad and Ryan Hartman each added a goal and an assist in a 44-shot attack that took advantage of Washington breakdowns and powered Chicago to its first win since Jan. 30 at Nashville. Nick Schmaltz, Artem Anisimov and rookie Alex DeBrincat also scored to help the Blackhawks snap a seven-game slide at home before season-high crowd of 22,066 at the United Center.

Tom Wilson scored for the Capitals, whose first-place lead in the Metropolitan Division over Pittsburgh slipped to one point.

Chicago's Anton Forsberg stopped 19 shots. Washington's Braden Holtby allowed six goals on 33 shots through two periods. Philipp Grubauer took over in goal to start the third and gave up a goal on 11 shots.

Washington's Barry Trotz coached his 1,500th NHL game. He joined four others in reaching that mark, including Chicago's Joel Queneville.

Kane's assist was his 500th. The Chicago star's goal was his first in five games and just his second in 12.

The Blackhawks took a 3-1 lead in the first period, outshooting Washington 21-6.

Toews opened the scoring 6:19 in, connecting on a sharp-angle shot from the left boards that hit Holtby's left pad and deflected in between his legs.

Wilson tied it at 1 just under 4 minutes later when he was left open in front and connected on a nifty, waist-high deflection of Matt Niskanen's shot from the point.

Saad put Chicago back in front at 12:47, firing in a loose puck after Holtby had foiled Vinnie Hinostroza point-blank by poking the puck off Hinostroza's stick.

With 30 seconds left in the period and Holtby out of position, Washington defenseman Dmitry Orlov slipped behind his goalie and blocked Tommy Wingels' shot.

But Schmaltz scored with 0.8 seconds left in the first from the right side of the net to make it 3-1 after taking Carl Dahlstrom's cross-ice feed.

Kane, Hartman and Anisomov scored 2:07 apart on consecutive shots late in the second to extend Chicago's lead to 6-1.

Kane buried a rebound of Toews' shot with 3:38 left in the period to make it 4-1 after Toews picked off Brooks Orpik's pass, and both he and Kane broke in alone.

Hartman weaved down the slot — and past three Washington defenders — then scored on a backhander 1:10 later. Anisimov's power-play goal from the left circle with 1:31 left in the second capped the outburst.

Set up by Hartman, DeBrincat's tap-in midway through the third made it 7-1.

NOTES: Besides Trotz and Quenneville, others to coach 1,500 games in the NHL are Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour and Ken Hitchcock. ... DeBrincat's 22nd goal gave him three in his last four games. ... Dahlstrom, a recent call-up, assisted on Schmaltz's goal for his first NHL point. ... The Blackhawks' longest overall losing streak in one season is 12 games, set at the end of the 1950-51. The skid extended to 13 games when Chicago lost its opener to start 1951-52.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press.

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