Blackhawks defeat Stars to earn split of 2-game series

[March 12, 2021]    Four players scored and goaltender Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves as the Chicago Blackhawks earned a split of a two-game series with a 4-2 victory against the host Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

Dominik Kubalik, Carl Soderberg, Duncan Keith and Alex DeBrincat scored for Chicago, with Patrick Kane and Adam Boqvist each getting two assists.

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Dominik Kubalik (8) and defenseman Adam Boqvist (27) celebrates a goal scored by Kubalik against the Dallas Stars during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Roope Hintz and John Klingberg scored for the Stars.

The Blackhawks, who suffered a 6-1 loss Tuesday at American Airlines Center, scored on half of their eight shots through two periods in taking a 4-0 lead.

Kubalik opened the scoring at 5:26 of the opening period following a Dallas turnover at center ice. Brandon Hagel scooped the puck off the left wing boards with a backhanded pass that sprung Kubalik on a breakaway from the blue line and he slid a backhander between Anton Khudobin's pads. It marked Kubalik's 10th goal of the season.

Chicago added two power-play goals and an unassisted tally in the second period.

Soderberg made it 2-0 with the man advantage at 2:53 of the second by stationing himself at the top of the crease and tipping Boqvist's wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle past Khudobin.

Defenseman Keith scored his first goal of the season at 14:37, intercepting a Dallas clearing attempt in the middle of the ice near the blue line and hammering a slap shot into the net with help from a screen out front by Pius Suter.

DeBrincat made it 4-0 at 16:10 off a give-and-go from Kane. DeBrincat skated into the right circle and scored on a wrister from just outside the faceoff dot.

Khudobin was replaced by Jake Oettinger after the second period. Oettinger stopped all eight shots he faced.

Hintz ended Lankinen's shutout bid at 9:43 of the third. Jamie Oleksiak skated the puck behind the net and found a wide-open Hintz in the slot. Hintz didn't get all of a one-timer, but it slid just inside the left post. It was Hintz's third goal in as many games.

Klingberg pulled the Stars within 4-2 at 12:41, skating through center ice and over the Chicago blue line before putting a wrist shot from between the top of the faceoff circles past Lankinen. Oettinger got the lone assist on the goal.

--Field Level Media

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