Strome, Blackhawks snap Penguins' win streak

[January 07, 2019]  Dylan Strome scored a tiebreaking, third-period goal Sunday for the visiting Chicago Blackhawks in a 5-3 win that snapped their two-game losing streak and quashed the Pittsburgh Penguins' eight-game winning streak.

Strome and Patrick Kane, who had three assists, worked a back-door play, with Strome finishing it off to give Chicago its first lead, 4-3, at 1:48 of the third, just after a Blackhawks power play ran out.

Jonathan Toews added an empty-net goal with 27 seconds remaining.

The Blackhawks, who erased an early two-goal deficit as well as a later one-goal hole, have won 10 straight games against the Penguins, and five in a row in Pittsburgh.

Alex DeBrincat, former Penguin Chris Kunitz and Duncan Keith also scored for Chicago. Goaltender Cam Ward stopped 31 of 34 Pittsburgh shots.

Patric Hornqvist, Jake Guentzel and Derick Brassard scored for the Penguins. Casey DeSmith made 26 saves.

Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead at 2:43 of the first on Hornqvist's blast from the right point that sailed over Ward's right shoulder.

Guentzel upped it to 2-0 at 4:33 of the first when he tapped a rebound of a shot by Kris Letang under Ward's pads.

Chicago began its first comeback at 16:23 of the first. DeBrincat tallied his eighth point in as many games when he scored on a one-timer from Kane on a back-door play.

Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) carries the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period at PPG PAINTS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Blackhawks tied it 2-2 at 6:46 of the second when Kunitz -- who was part of three Stanley Cup teams in Pittsburgh, including the 2009 team that was feted before the game -- picked up his first goal of the season on a shot from the top of the slot that went between the skates of Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson and past DeSmith's glove.

Brassard gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead at 9:49 of the second from a sharp angle from near the right corner on a one-timer from Phil Kessel.

Keith became the second Chicago player to pick up his first goal of the season when he scored on a blast from the left point at 16:59, one second after a Blackhawks power play expired, to forge a 3-3 tie entering the third.

--Field Level Media

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