Toews saves the day in OT for Hawks

This is getting ridiculous.

For the second straight game, the Blackhawks took it to a visiting team at the United Center, dominating play for much of the night before eventually, inexplicably heading to overtime.

But unlike a couple of nights ago where they oushot Calgary 50-18 only to lose 2-1 in overtime, the Hawks on Saturday found a way to get it done in OT, coming away with a 2-1 victory over a pesky Nashville squad thanks to Jonathan Toews' second effort on a shorthanded breakaway goal.

“Personally it feels good to get that first (goal) of the year, but it was just another frustrating game where we have energy, but we just can't seem to quite find that flow that we're looking for,” the Hawks captain said.

It was probably only fitting that the Hawks won this one on a shorty, considering they couldn't get anything done with the man advantage despite numerous opportunuties the last two games.

They came into Saturday's showdown with Nashville fresh off a 1-for-7 power play performance against the Flames. Things only got worse against the Preds as coach Joel Quenneville's squad went 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

“That's not how we wanted to come out tonight,” Toews said. “That could've been the difference for us again tonight.”

In the end, though, the captain was the difference. While killing off a 4-on-3 Nashville power play, Toews gathered in a loose puck at his own blue line and bee-lined toward goalie Carter Hutton.

The former Blackhawks goalie stopped Toews intial push, but a good second effort by the captain sealed the deal.

“It was a lucky break,” Toews said. “I was lucky to get a second effort at it.”

And the Hawks were lucky to walk away with 2 points after surviving a furious third-period push from the Preds.

“We had a great start. I liked our start,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “And then 40 minutes later ... and and here we are again.”

The very first shot the Hawks took — a blast from the circle by Johnny Oduya — beat Hutton, but that would be it for regulation.

Midway through the first, Preds defenseman Shea Weber notched a power-play goal, firing one that beat Corey Crawford over his left shoulder to tie it up.

In the third period, the Preds found their aggression, but just like he has all season, Crawford kept the Hawks in this one, stopping all 12 shots. He saved 19 of 20 overall.

“Crow was excellent,” Quenneville said. “We were fortunate in that third period to get out of it tied.”