Ho-Ho-Hossa gifts Blackhawks with OT win
With Christmas three weeks away, Joel Quenneville put two items on his wish list Thursday morning before the Blackhawks took on New Jersey at the United Center.
Item 1: Secondary scoring.
Item 2: An improved power play.
Well, Quenneville didn't have to wait until Dec. 25 to unwrap his gifts, as the Hawks delivered both to their coach just 11 hours later during a 4-3 overtime victory over the Devils.
Marcus Kruger and Niklas Hjalmarsson - with 3 goals between them coming in - breathed life into a struggling offense, and Marian Hossa provided the game-winner 1:31 into overtime as the Hawks improved to 16-6-3 overall and 10-1-2 at home.
Artem Anisimov also scored for the Hawks, and Corey Crawford made 30 saves.
Hossa now has 12 goals on the season, 4 of which are game-winners and 3 of which have come in overtime.
"He seems to have found the fountain of youth," Hjalmarsson said. "He's looking better and stronger than ever. Whatever he's doing, I'm just going to follow and do the same thing."
Hossa scored 13 seconds after a Michael Cammalleri one-timer clanged off the right post.
"I tried to hold, see my options and I didn't see anything and I tried to shoot through the screen," Hossa said. "I don't think the goalie saw much."
The Hawks were 0-for-4 on the power play, but Quenneville thought his team gained momentum after generating plenty of chances, especially on New Jersey's third penalty early in the second period.
Travis Zajac scored all 3 of New Jersey's goals with his third knotting the contest at 3-3 with 11:11 to go in the game.
Kruger scored for just the second time in 70 games, while Hjalmarsson's tally was just his eighth over the last 187 games. Both players scored on wrist shots that sailed over goalie Cory Schneider's right shoulder.
"Their reliability and effectiveness defensively is as good as any player in the league," Quenneville said. "When they get some offense it really helps our team game."
Anisimov scored at 12:25 of the second period and just 1:42 after Zajac potted his second goal to give New Jersey a 2-1 lead. Hjalmarsson's goal came exactly six minutes after Anisimov's.
The Hawks appeared to take a 4-2 lead 1:27 into the second period when Brian Campbell knocked a loose puck into the net, but officials ruled goaltender interference on Richard Panik.
The Hawks now own a 12-game point streak (10-0-2) at the UC. According to Elias, that ties the Hawks' longest such streak since Jan. 22-March 6, 2013, when they went 11-0-1.