Second-period surge sends Blackhawks past Flames

[January 27, 2023] Boris Katchouk, Jason Dickinson and Sam Lafferty scored in the second period as the visiting Chicago Blackhawks collected four unanswered goals in a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Taylor Raddysh and Connor Murphy also scored for the Blackhawks, who went into the game at the bottom of the league standings and snapped a two-game losing streak despite being without captain Jonathan Toews due to non-COVID illness.

Chicago goaltender Jaxson Stauber made 34 saves, 18 in the third period, in his second NHL start. Stauber has won both of his games.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored for the Flames, who were defeated by the Blackhawks for the second time this month. Goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 24 shots.

With the score tied 1-1, Katchouk's second goal of the season at 9:39 of the second period sent his team away. The second-year player made a triumphant return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the nine previous games when he buried a slap shot from the high slot.

Luke Philp, a former Flames prospect from the nearby city of Canmore who was playing his second NHL game, collected an assist for his first career point.

The visitors pulled away with a pair of goals 32 seconds apart, starting with Dickinson's sixth of the season at 15:37 of the middle frame. Dickinson was sprung on a partial breakaway and chipped a forehand into the net.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Jaxson Stauber (30) guards his net during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Lafferty notched his eighth goal of the campaign when he finished a two-on-one rush feed from Colin Blackwell to make it a 4-1 affair. Lafferty has scored three goals in the past four games.

The Flames pressed in the third period but could not mount any form of a comeback before Murphy's empty-net goal rounded out the scoring with 43 seconds to go.

The Blackhawks have compiled an 8-2-4 record in their last 14 visits to Calgary.

Chicago had more jump from the drop of the puck and was rewarded when Raddysh opened the scoring at the 17:47 mark. He converted a wrist shot from the left circle for his 13th goal of the season.

Huberdeau replied with 27.7 seconds left in the first period to make it a 1-1 game, collecting his 10th of the season when he showed quick hands from in close, but his team failed to build any momentum.

--Field Level Media

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