In Chicago, Frank Vatrano scored near the midway point of extra time on Tuesday to send the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.
Isac Lundestrom set up the game-winner after circling the Chicago net.
“It was actually a similar play we had early on in the year,” Vatrano said. “Me and him, 4-on-4, same play. What a great play by ‘Lundy’ all around to hold onto that puck and find a lane for me.”
Anthony Stolarz made 27 saves in the Anaheim win.
Anaheim is 1-0-1 coming off the All-Star break.
“I think [it’s] just mindset,” Vatrano said. “You’re obviously not going to feel too good even if you come off an eight-day break. A back to back is a back to back. This is a tough league no matter who you’re playing against. Every night is a challenge. We knew we were going to have a tough challenge ahead, and we just kept our heads in it.”
The Ducks moved to 17-29-6.
“That was like air coming out of a balloon there,” Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. “I think the schedule is really tough for all the teams coming off the break. For us to come back and have to play back to back is extremely hard. It’s one thing we have been this year is really resilient. We just kept our head down and kept swinging.”
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the game at 1:36 of the middle frame on a goal from Jason Dickinson.
“Playing with ‘Kaner’ (Patrick Kane) creates a lot of offense,” Dickinson said. “So, when you’re creating opportunities you start to feel really good and you get more touches. And it’s a snowball effect. If you get more chances in the [offensive] zone, you start to feel good and you want the puck more and you want to do more with it, so it’s been nice getting those opportunities.”
Chicago dropped to 15-29-5.
Brett Leason tied it for the Ducks, 1-1, following his own rebound.
Chicago reclaimed the lead, 2-1, on a marker from Seth Jones .
“Yeah, that one hurts,” Dickinson said. “Felt like we should’ve won, but we let that get away from us.”
Jayson Megna tied, 2-2, it for the Ducks late in the second period.
“It was great,” Eakins said. “‘Leas’ had been out. He had not been playing before the break. I really wanted to get all of our guys in here right away. He played very well. That line was very, very good. Megna scores a goal. [Derek] Grant rings one off the crossbar. Leason’s good. You would term that our fourth line, but tonight they were our best line.”
Petr Mrazek made 23 saves in the Hawks loss.
“Yeah, I thought we outplayed them for three periods,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “That was probably the most [offensive]-zone time and rotation and movement that we’ve had all year. A couple of, maybe, line rushes a little too fancy, that extra pass. But their goalie made a few good saves, especially on Tyler Johnson on the one power play.
“He’s a big goalie and he just played well and we just didn’t have that killer instinct to put that third one in the first 60 minutes. I thought we could’ve been up maybe a couple of goals by then, but you have to shoot and you have to score to be up.”
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