Tyler Johnson scored the only goal in a shootout to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night, securing their third consecutive win.
Johnson beat Laurent Brossoit with a low shot in the third round of the tiebreaker after tying the game with a power-play goal just 55 seconds before the end of regulation.
“Tyler plays so hard and does all the right things for us,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “It was great to see him have that opportunity to tie it up and score in the shootout. It looked like he was going to deke and just slid it in there.”
Johnson tied the game with a screened shot from the high slot after Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was penalized for delay of game for lofting the puck over the glass. The Blackhawks had pulled goalie Petr Mrazek for an extra attacker.
Johnson was set up by a cross-ice pass from Patrick Kane.
“You just kind of dream about those shots,” Johnson said. “Those are the ones you want to hit.”
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy expressed his disappointment with Pietrangelo, a steady 15-year veteran.
“That’s on us a little bit, right?” Cassidy said. “Maybe it’s just a little bit of a lower rim (along the glass). Veteran guys, you’ve got to manage it better in those situations.”
Jack Eichel scored his 18th goal, and Keegan Kolesar also found the back of the net for the Golden Knights, whose five-game winning streak ended. Despite the loss, Vegas has points in seven straight games (5-0-2) and remains first in the competitive Pacific Division.
Rookie Cole Guttman scored for the second straight game for Chicago, now climbing out of last place in the NHL with 43 points. Guttman netted his first NHL goal on Sunday.
Kane appeared to score on a breakaway as overtime ended, but a video review showed his high shot sailed past Brossoit just after time expired.
“I think it would have been cooler if Kaner scored that goal,” Johnson said. “I thought it was in.”
Brossoit made 37 saves through overtime in his first start for Vegas this season. The 29-year-old goalie appeared in 24 games for Vegas in 2021-22.
“A few jitters in the first period, but I think overall it was a net positive for how I felt,” Brossoit said.
Mrazek blocked 34 shots through overtime and all three in the shootout.
The Golden Knights failed to score on their lone power play, extending their dry spell to 24 straight chances dating to Jan. 22, a span of nine games.
Kolesar opened the scoring 3:26 in, whipping in a shot from the slot after Kane turned the puck over to Nicolas Roy deep in the Chicago zone.
Guttman broke in behind the Vegas defense and tied it at 1 at 12:39 of the first, beating Brossoit between the pads.
Eichel put Vegas back in front 2-1 at 11:32 of the second period with his third goal in five games, firing a shot under Mrazek’s blocker from the right circle.
VEGAS GOALIE MOVES
Knights goalie Adin Hill is day-to-day with a lower-body injury after winning four straight starts. On Saturday, he was hurt in a 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay.
Vegas recalled 32-year-old Michael Hutchinson from Henderson of the AHL to back up Brossoit on Tuesday. Knights All-Star goalie Logan Thompson is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered on Feb. 9 at Minnesota.
KANE COUNTDOWN?
Kane, second in points in Blackhawks franchise history, has been the subject of trade rumors. Rebuilding Chicago has only one more home game, on March 2 versus Dallas, before the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline.
Kane’s eight-year contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but it has a no-movement clause, meaning he’d have to consent to any trade.
WORTH NOTING
The Blackhawks placed F MacKenzie Entwistle (right wrist) on IR retroactive to Feb. 14. Chicago also placed F Reese Johnson in concussion protocol.
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: Host Calgary on Thursday night.
- Blackhawks: At Dallas on Wednesday night to start a four-game trip.