Ducks send Blackhawks to 7th straight home loss

[February 16, 2018]  Adam Henrique scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period, and the visiting Anaheim Ducks rallied for a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night at the United Center.

Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase also scored for Anaheim, which erased a 2-0 deficit to snap a two-game skid.

Chicago lost its eighth game in a row as its postseason hopes continue to fade. Duncan Keith and Brandon Saad scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost seven consecutive contests on home ice.

Ducks goaltender John Gibson made 42 saves, including a flurry of stops in the final minutes, to earn his 20th win of the season. On the opposite end of the rink, Blackhawks goaltender Anton Forsberg turned aside 29 shots.

Chicago struck first as Keith snapped a season-long scoring drought 1:45 into the second period. Tommy Wingels set a screen in front of the net, and Keith blasted a slap shot from near the blue line for his first goal. Keith had tallied 169 consecutive shots without scoring a goal since March 16, 2017.

The Blackhawks increased their advantage to 2-0 with 10:48 remaining in the second period. Vinnie Hinostroza slid a pass to the left side of the crease for Saad, who tapped in his 14th goal and his first since Jan. 7.

Forty-one seconds later, Anaheim trimmed the deficit to 2-1. Ritchie punched in a backhand shot for his sixth goal. A turnover by Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy prompted the Ducks' odd-man rush.

 

Blackhawks right wing Ryan Hartman (center) fights with Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler (left) and defenseman Josh Manson (right) during the second period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Anaheim evened the score at 2 with 7:42 to play in the second period. Kase sprinted down the ice on a breakaway and beat Forsberg on a backhand shot for his 16th goal.

The Ducks pulled ahead 3-2 with 11:26 remaining in the third period. Henrique drifted toward the slot and snapped another backhand shot past Forsberg to give Anaheim its first lead of the game.

Ducks defenseman Marcus Pettersson made his NHL debut two days after he was recalled from San Diego of the AHL. Pettersson finished with a plus-2 rating in 13:28 of ice time.

--Field Level Media

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