Gustafsson delivers in OT to put Blackhawks over Wild
Erik Gustafsson scored 2 goals, including the game-winner in overtime, and the Blackhawks defeated host Minnesota 4-3 in a huge divisional game Saturday.
The Hawks (20-24-9, 49 points) have won four in a row, inched closer to the Wild (26-22-4, 56 points) in the Central Division and are doing their best to make an unlikely playoff push with 30 games remaining.
Patrick Kane extended his point streak to 11 games when he assisted on Jonathan Toews' goal with 4:35 remaining in the game, Alex DeBrincat also scored, and Collin Delia made 28 saves in net.
Minnesota salvaged a point thanks to Victor Rask's tying goal with 3:02 remaining, but the Hawks persevered and are starting to believe that anything is possible.
"We've got confidence," Toews told reporters. "We went into the break playing and feeling well. We're coming out of the break with the same thing."
The Hawks are still 5 points out of a wild-card spot, but they are right on the heels of the Avs (52 points), Blues (51), Coyotes (51), the reeling Ducks (51) and the Oilers (50).
Gustafsson's game-winner came at 1:19 of overtime and with the Hawks skating 4-on-3 because Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter was called for delay of game with 19 seconds left in regulation. Gustafsson, who snapped a 15-game goal-scoring drought, now has 10 goals and is the first Hawks defenseman to hit double-digits since Brent Seabrook scored 14 three years ago.
"You see it around the league - a lot of really good D-men are almost fourth forwards that are able to jump into the play because they're such good skaters," Toews said. "He's just really patient and smart and deceptive with the puck. When he gets it, he's just drawing a lot of attention and he can free up a lot of space for forwards too."
As for Kane, he has 9 goals and 17 assists during a point streak that began against the Islanders on Jan. 3.
"It's just fun to watch him. Fun to watch him work in his environment," coach Jeremy Colliton said on the WGN 720-AM pregame show. "He came through for us with a bunch of plays (in the Hawks' 7-3 win over Buffalo on Friday). You don't take it for granted. You appreciate it every time he comes through, but that's his normal."
After Minnesota went up 1-0 midway through the first period, DeBrincat knotted the score at 1-1 at 7:51 of the second period when he took the puck to the middle of the ice and snapped off a shot that beat Alex Stalock to the short side.
After that, the Blackhawks turned it on and pressured Minnesota with wave after wave of attackers. Then, seven minutes after DeBrincat's goal, Gustafsson took a pass from Dominik Kahun and let one fly from just inside the blue line. The laser found its way past Stalock to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead.
DeBrincat now has 26 goals, 16 of which have come in the last 25 games. DeBrincat, Kahun and Dylan Strome all had 2 assists.
The Hawks at Edmonton on Tuesday, then host Vancouver on Thursday.