Seabrook's OT goal lifts Blackhawks past Jets

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[April 02, 2016]  WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook finally stopped the see-saw ride, ensuring the Blackhawks finished on top Friday

Seabrook snapped in his 14th goal of the season 1:02 into overtime and left winger Artemi Panarin had a four-point night to spark the Blackhawks to a 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre.

Seconds after Winnipeg misfired on a two-on-one break, Seabrook raced away with Panarin on an odd-man rush with only Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers back to defend. Panarin, a candidate to win the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, slipped a perfect pass to Seabrook and he let a shot go that goaltender Ondrej Pavelec had no chance to block.

"That was huge for our team," Seabrook said. "It was nice to see us bounce back (after trailing 4-3 in the third period). The resiliency of this team was good to see, and I think it's definitely a confidence booster going forward to know we can be down and get a big goal and get it to overtime."

Panarin scored a pair of goals -- his 26th and 27th of the season -- and had two assists for the Blackhawks (45-26-7), who are third in the Central Division. His second goal came with 4:45 left in the third period to force overtime.

Right winger Blake Wheeler netted his 22nd goal of the season and second of the game less than four minutes earlier to give Winnipeg the lead.

Right winger Patrick Kane scored his 40th of the season, left winger Brandon Mashinter scored his fourth and defenseman Erik Gustafsson chipped in a pair of assists for Chicago, which is 9-1-0 in their last 10 stops in Winnipeg.

Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scored his 18th goal and had two helpers, while rookie winger Nic Petan netted his second of the year to open the scoring. Center Mark Scheifele had two assists.

The lead changed hands four times between the division rivals, separated by a 27-point chasm in the standings. The Jets (31-39-8), winless in their last four games, sit last in the Central.

"It was a crazy game all game long. There was some looseness and some great opportunities," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We've still got to be better."

The Blackhawks entered the contest 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, including a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

Chicago's Scott Darling, who made 28 saves, wasn't particularly enamored with his own play but admitted snatching the extra point made it easier to accept.

"It's definitely the more important part. We're here to win," Darling said. "You never want to let in four goals but I'm happy with the way we all battled and pulled it out there."

Winnipeg was 0 for 3 with the man advantage and has gone 10 consecutive games and 25 opportunities without a power-play goal.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was struck on the right ear by a clearing pass from teammate Michal Rozsival while killing a penalty late in the second period and left the ice in obvious pain. The Winnipeg product returned for third period and overtime, registering the second assist on Seabrook's clincher.

Pavelec made 22 saves. He has still has not posted a victory over the Blackhawks in eight NHL seasons, going back to when the franchise was still in Atlanta.

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"Both teams made good plays. Both teams had scoring chances to score goals. There's skill on both sides," Pavelec said. "That's one of the best teams in the NHL, and we got a point. With the injuries we have, all the young guys, good for them. We got the point, we lost in overtime. I guess it's a process. It's going to take a while."

The duo of Scheifele and Wheeler has been tremendous for Winnipeg as it winds down a mostly forgettable season. Wheeler has four goals and six assists in his last seven games, while his center has three goals and six helpers.

In five games since returning from an eye injury, Ehlers has a goal and assist playing the left wing.

"They're skating really well and I think they're playing with a lot of confidence," Wheeler said of his linemates. "That goes a long way, especially with them being young guys. I've been around long enough to not waver in my confidence in myself, and that's something you have to earn in this league. It's something you have to develop, and I think those guys are on their way to doing that."

Winnipeg hosts Minnesota on Sunday before concluding its season with a three-game California road trip.

Chicago kicks off a three-game homestand Sunday afternoon against Boston.

NOTES: Chicago D Duncan Keith was suspended six games Friday for a slash he delivered to the face of Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle on Tuesday. He will miss five regular-season games and the Blackhawks' first playoff contest. The Winnipeg native opted for a telephone hearing with the NHL Player Safety Committee late in the day. ... Blackhawks veteran RW Marian Hossa fell ill this week and did not make the trip to Winnipeg. The Blackhawks were still missing G Corey Crawford (upper body), while RW Richard Panik, C Dennis Rasmussen and D Christian Ehrhoff were all healthy scratches. ... The Jets were without RW JC Lipon (upper body), C Bryan Little (upper body) and RW Anthony Peluso (upper body). ... Winnipeg D Dustin Byfuglien answered questions following Friday's morning skate about his crushing hit on Ottawa Senators forward Mark Stone on Wednesday. "That's hockey. If you take that out of the game, everyone might as well put figure skates on," the 6-foot-5, 260-pound defenseman said. "I'm glad he's OK and everything worked out, but that's the way hockey is." Stone suffered a chest injury and will miss at least two games.

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