|
 Toews had a goal and three assists, leading the Chicago Blackhawks
to a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
"It felt good, I'm not going to lie," the Blackhawks captain said.
"It means a little bit more to have a chance to get on the
scoresheet here in Winnipeg, in front of dozens of family and
friends that are here at the game. There's a little bit of added
effort there."
Toews linemate Marian Hossa put Chicago ahead for good in the third
period with a goal in his return to the lineup after missing three
games with a lower-body injury.
Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad and Ben Smith also scored for Chicago
(15-4-4), and Patrick Sharp capped it with an empty-netter. The
Blackhawks have won all three of their meetings with the Jets this
season.
"It was a more consistent, more complete effort," Toews said.
Added coach Chicago coach Joel Quenneville: "I thought we answered
the bell at the start of the game and answered the bell when they
had their run there in the second. Excellent first and third
periods."
Andrew Ladd, Keaton Ellerby and Dustin Byfuglien scored for the Jets
(10-11-3), who scored three goals in the second period.
"I thought their skill was evident in the game," Winnipeg coach
Claude Noel said of the Blackhawks, who have two Stanley Cups in the
last three seasons. "We didn't have enough good players, we didn't
have enough good players or strong players. I thought they won a lot
of battles in the hard areas. When you win Cups in the years that
they've won them, you can see why."
Goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who kept the Jets in the game in the first
period, said they got what they deserved.
"You play in your zone like we did tonight, you can't expect to get
a point," he said.
The first period was all Blackhawks, who controlled possession of
the puck and outshot Winnipeg 12-2.
"For sure it was a concern," Noel said of the failure to get up for
the game, although he didn't have any answers.
"It's something I've got to figure out, it's part of the job. Having
said all that, we walk into the third period, we're tied 3-3, we're
still in the game, we just need to muster up 20 minutes, but they
stepped it up and played and we couldn't handle it."
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Kane's power-play goal late in the first got
things started and Saad snapped one in from the slot to make it
2-0 just over three minutes into the second.
The Jets then scored two goals in 29 seconds to tie it.
Bryan Little fed Ladd and Ellerby used Winnipeg's first power
play of the game to score his first with the Jets from the point
at 3:51.
Toews put the Blackhawks back in the lead with a 4-on-4 goal
just past the 11-minute mark, beating out defenseman Toby
Enstrom and slipping the puck past Pavelec from the side of the
crease.
But Winnipeg came right back on a 5-on-3 opportunity that
Byfuglien cashed in at 13:30, with Winnipeg's third shot within
seconds on Crawford to even it up a 3.
The Jets bounced back in the second period with a 14-8 advantage
in shots.
Hossa put the Blackhawks ahead at 3:11 of the third when he
outplayed Ellerby while swinging past the Jets net. He slipped
the puck through a very small hole left by Pavelec.
Smith raced in to bang in a rebound for some insurance at 5:22
to make it 5-3.
A Winnipeg radio station urged fans to wear helmets to the game
in response to the Chicago fan who stole Adam Pardy's helmet
after the Jets defenseman was checked through the glass at the
United Center on Nov. 6. But the team told fans they wouldn't be
allowed in if they showed up with helmets on Thursday night.
There was a heavy police presence at the game but it wasn't
because of the rivalry between the two Central Division teams.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in attendance.
NOTES: The Jets and Blackhawks play once more, Jan. 26 in
Chicago. ... Ladd and Byfuglien played for the Blackhawks and
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was assistant GM when
Chicago won a Stanley Cup in 2010. Michael Frolik was with the
Blackhawks when they won the Cup last season.
[Associated
Press]
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