WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks finally beat the Winnipeg Jets.
Kane and linemates Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin each scored and combined for seven points to help the Blackhawks beat the Jets 5-2 on Friday night. Winnipeg won the first four games between the teams this season, outscoring Chicago 14-5.
“I think we had a great first. That’s the way we want to play right there,” Kane said. “Every line was going, we had a couple good power plays. We didn’t score on them, but had some chances, got the lead and great period overall. That’s the way we want to play.”
Duncan Keith’s late goal was the winner, and Marian Hossa also scored.
The goaltenders were busy in the fifth and final meeting of the season between the Central Division rivals.
Chicago’s Corey Crawford made 28 saves in his 22nd victory of the season.
“I think, definitely, we played really good in our end,” Hossa said. “Obviously, Corey stood on his head tonight, but I think overall we’re improving defensively which is a good sign.”
Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced.
“(Hellebuyck was) real good,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “Busy overall, for sure early which is tough. You’d love to see him ease into a game. It was lots of action to the net early in the game.”
Bryan Little and Adam Lowry scored for Winnipeg.
“I thought we had a bit of a slow start. I thought they came out hungry and controlled a lot of the play early in the game and got that goal right away,” Little said. “I thought we did a good job in the second and the third battling back and getting our chances and making it a close game.”
Kane opened the scoring at 15:37 of the opening period with his 18th of the season, firing a one-timer off Panarin’s long cross-ice feed to beat Hellebuyck low to the glove side.
The goal was Kane’s 269th, moving him past Tony Amonte for the most goals by an American in Blackhawks history, and into sixth on the overall franchise list.
Little found the equalizer for Winnipeg at 1:43 of the second, quickly grabbing a net-side rebound off a Tobias Enstrom point shot.
Anisimov scored late in the second. Kane set up Panarin for a one timer and Anisimov buried the rebound, moving him into a brief tie with Hossa for the team lead in goals at 19.
Keith added his goal with less than three minutes remaining, scoring his fifth of the season on a point-blast to make it 3-1. Hossa moved back into the team goal lead with a short-handed empty-netter, and Panarin added another into an empty net to ice it with 16 seconds left.
UP NEXT
Jets: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday,
Blackhawks: At Edmonton on Saturday.
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