In Chicago, the Blackhawks kept hope alive on Wednesday night.
Chicago scored three goals in the third period to rally back from a 1-4 deficit and send their game with the Nashville Predators to overtime.
With three minutes gone in the extra session, Brandon Hagel potted the game-winner to stun the Predators, 5-4.
“It felt pretty good just to get the win in general,” Hagel said. “We battled and battled, and it ended up paying off for us tonight.”
The win gets the Blackhawks one point closer to the fourth spot in the Central Division.
Malcolm Subban made 36 saves to get the win.
Nashville dropped to 25-21-2.
Pius Suter staked the Hawks to a 1-0 lead before the Predators reeled off four straight goals.
Chicago trails Nashville by three points in the race for the last playoff spot.
“Gutsy comeback,” Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton said. “We put ourselves in a pretty big hole, obviously in a big game, but we stuck with it, didn’t give up, so definitely proud of that response.”
Eeli Tolvanen tied the game at 1-1,
“We had a pretty tough start,” Tolvanen said. “We got a lucky goal. It was a good play by [Arvidsson] and I pretty much got an empty net.”
Colton Sissions and Mikael Granlund scored in the middle frame to put the Preds ahead, 3-1.
“You know they’re a good rush team, they get time and space, they’re going to be able to make plays,” Predators head coach John Hynes said. “We weren’t stiff enough in that area with the structure or commitment that we need to play with in that area.”
Luke Kunin struck for Nashville’s fourth goal with less than a minute gone on the clean ice of the third period.
“We did get one point out of the game, we did a lot of good things in the game,” Hynes said. “We certainly played a good game. We had a stretch in the third period where it looks like we let our foot off the gas a little bit, and that’s something you can’t do against any team.
“You have to take the point out of it, you have to take the lessons out of why we gave up the lead the way that we did, and there’s a lot of good things in the game you come back to.”
Wyatt Kalynuk started the third period rally with a goal to make it 4-2.
Vinnie Hinostroza continued the outburst with a goal for a 4-3 score.
“We never gave up. We came back, and if you
want to be a playoff team you have to win some games like that,” Hinostroza said. “It just shows the character we have in the locker room. Every guy on our team battled today and made plays they needed to in the third. That was the difference.”
Dominik Kubalik made extra time necessitate with a goal in the 13th minute of the frame.
Juuse Saros made 25 saves in the loss.

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