Kane leads Blackhawks past Coyotes 5-2
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist in a dominant first period, Antti Raanta made 31 saves for his second NHL win, and the Blackhawks beat the Phoenix Coyotes 5-2 on Saturday night to complete an impressive road trip.
After watching a 3-0 lead become 3-2 after a sloppy second period, Brandon Bollig’s goal with 9:11 left put it away for Chicago. Andrew Shaw and Niklas Hjalmarsson also scored for the Blackhawks, and Marian Hossa added an empty-net goal in Chicago’s sixth straight win to wrap up a seven-game, 13-day trip that saw them cement their status as one of the NHL’s top teams.
Rob Klinkhammer and Martin Hanzal scored for the Coyotes, who lost for the fourth time in five games.
On their annual, lengthy trip while the United Center hosts the circus, Chicago played in Colorado, toured western Canada and stopped in Dallas on Friday night, where the Blackhawks prevailed in the 11th round of a shootout.
After stopping 10 of 11 shots in the shootout less than 24 hours earlier, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville gave Corey Crawford the night off.
Raanta, who secured his first NHL victory Wednesday in Calgary, stopped a Coyotes breakaway with just over 2 minutes remaining.
The Blackhawks showed no fatigue early, while getting some help from the bumbling Coyotes.
Phoenix was called for too many men on the ice 49 seconds into the game, and 25 seconds later Derek Morris was sent to the box for holding.
Chicago took advantage of the 5 on 3 against the league’s 27th-ranked penalty killing unit as Kane deflected Hossa’s shot from the point, beating goaltender Mike Smith high for Kane’s 16th goal of the season.
The Blackhawks went up 2-0 when Shaw picked up the puck in a scramble in front of the net and sent a soft, bouncing backhand that squirted past Smith by the left post at 9:18.
Less than two minutes later, Hjalmarsson’s took Kane’s pass off the boards and beat Smith from the corner and Chicago had three goals on 12 shots.
It marked the second time this week Phoenix, which has been outscored 28-16 in the first period this season, had fallen behind 3-0 in the opening 20 minutes.
Phoenix got within 3-1 early in the second period when Michael Stone intentionally shot wide. The puck bounced off the boards directly to Klinkhammer, who poked it in the net by the near post for his fifth goal, while Stone got an assist.
Chicago’s parade to the penalty box allowed the Coyotes to make it a game.
With Hjalmarsson serving four minutes for slashing and then complaining about it, Hanzal redirected Radim Vrbata’s pass in front of the net to make it 3-2 with 4:04 left in the second.
Smith stopped 31 shots in a sour ending to a record-breaking night off the ice for the Coyotes.
Despite competition in the area from the Arizona-Arizona State football game and the Jazz-Suns game, the Coyotes announced they broke a franchise record for single-game revenue, in part because all luxury suites were sold and the team has cut down on ticket giveaways.
The sellout crowd of 17,321 was a high point for the once-troubled franchise, which was under NHL control until a group led by George Gosbee took over this summer and committed to keep the team in Arizona.
But the defending Stanley Cup champions proved too strong as Chicago moved to 2-0 against Phoenix this season.
NOTES: Coyotes D Rusty Klesla, who was waived Tuesday, sent to the minors Wednesday and then recalled Friday so he could attend to a personal matter, was a healthy scratch. . The Blackhawks host Dallas on Tuesday in their first home game since Nov. 17. ... The Coyotes begin a four-game road trip Tuesday at Edmonton.