Vermette's shootout goal lifts Blackhawks over Oilers 2-1
CHICAGO (AP) - Newcomer Antoine Vermette scored the lone goal of the shootout in the third round, giving the Chicago Blackhawks a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night.
Vermette, acquired on Saturday from Phoenix, missed on several chances in regulation, but beat Ben Scrivens on a backhander in the tiebreaker.
Chicago's Corey Crawford made 46 saves through overtime, then stopped all three Oilers in the shootout. The Blackhawks improved to 3-1 without injured leading scorer Patrick Kane.
Chicago's Brent Seabrook scored on a screened drive from the blue line - and on the Blackhawks' 33rd shot - to tie the game with 7:02 left in the third period, spoiling Scrivens' shutout bid and setting up overtime.
Edmonton's Derek Roy scored in the first period on a broken play and Scrivens finished with 38 saves through overtime.
Scrivens was sharp in blocking several prime Chicago chances through overtime. The Blackhawks struggled to maintain consistent pace and pressure against scrappy Edmonton, in last place in the Western Conference.
The injury-depleted Oilers, owners of the second-worst record in the NHL, opened a five-game road trip with seven regulars out. They've lost three straight and five of six.
Chicago had several early chances, including a point-blank attempt by Vermette, but was burned by sloppy play in a freely skated first.
Edmonton came on late, outshot Chicago 18-12 for the period and took a 1-0 lead on Roy's goal after Chicago's Duncan Keith lost the puck along the back boards. Chicago had players in position to recover, but Edmonton's Nail Yakupov slipped the puck into the slot, where Roy was wide open. He fired into an empty net after Crawford overreacted and slid too far to his left.
The Blackhawks generated pressure and scoring opportunities in the second period, but Scrivens preserved the one-goal lead.
He stopped slumping Patrick Sharp on a breakaway. Sharp, who led Chicago last season with 34 goals and 78 points, has gone 17 games without a goal and has just two assists in his last 16.
Scrivens reacted quickly to deny Marian Hossa from the slot, then Jonathan Toews on a rebound from the edge of the crease. He got help blocking shots from a cluster of teammates with just over a minute left in the second as the Blackhawks jammed the net area.
Scrivens kicked out his left leg to make a close-in pad save on Kris Versteeg in the third. And Crawford made a point-blank stop on Justin Schultz with 40 seconds left in regulation.
In overtime, Scrivens stopped David Rundblad in close and a tip-in attempt by Seabrook.
NOTES: F Andrew Desjardins, acquired from San Jose hours before Monday's trade deadline, made his Blackhawks debut. Top prospect F Teuvo Teravainen and F Daniel Carcillo were Chicago's healthy scratches. . Blackhawks D Johnny Oduya (upper-body injury), missed his fifth game, but has resumed skating and hopes to return next week. . Edmonton's injury list includes F Taylor Hall (leg), F Tyler Pitlick (lacerated spleen), D Nikita Nikitin (shoulder), G Viktor Fasth (knee), C Anton Lander (shoulder) and F Iiro Pakarinen (knee).