Kane keeps scoring streak alive, Blackhawks take bite out of Sharks
SAN JOSE, Calif.
The Chicago Blackhawks count on getting production from Patrick Kane. When someone like Andrew Desjardins also gets into the act, they are even tougher to beat.
Kane had two assists to extend his career-best scoring streak to 17 games, and Desjardins scored his first goal of the season for some third-period insurance in the Blackhawks' 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.
Desjardins got his first point this season off a rebound just 1:07 after San Jose cut Chicago's lead to one goal. Making it even sweeter was the fact it came against his former team.
"Obviously it felt good personally, but I think it felt good, too, the time of the game," Desjardins said. "They were starting to pour it on a little bit. It was good. I liked it."
Kane once again led the way, setting up Brent Seabrook on Chicago's first goal and also getting a helper on Duncan Keith's second-period score to give him 28 points during the streak.
"If it ends, it ends," Kane said. "I just want to play my game and make sure I'm doing the right things out there for the team. If it continues, it continues. I'm not too worried about it right now."
Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw also scored for the Blackhawks, who improved to 2-1-1 on their annual circus road trip. The six-game swing concludes this weekend with games in Anaheim and Los Angeles.
Corey Crawford made 27 saves.
Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks, who returned home from a 6-0 road trip to lose once again at the Shark Tank.
"We never established our forechecking and we weren't good enough with the puck," captain Joe Pavelski said. "We had our chances but we didn't do too much with them."
San Jose fell to 3-6 at home after dropping 22 games here last season -- their most since 1996-97. The Sharks had earned the most points at home in the NHL over the previous nine seasons.
Martin Jones made 21 saves.
After a slow start in their first game back from the perfect road trip, the Sharks found their legs late in the first period and tied it at 1 when Burns scored on a one-timer from Pavelski on the power play. It was San Jose's first goal at home with the man advantage all season after 21 failed chances.
But the tie lasted just 88 seconds before Ryan Garbutt sprung Toews on a 2-on-1 and the Chicago captain beat Jones with a shot high to the glove side.
The Blackhawks added to the lead midway through the second period when Keith sent what looked like an innocent shot in from the boards only to see it elude Jones to give Chicago a 3-1 lead.
Soon after Marleau trimmed it to 3-2, Desjardins sealed the win.
"It looked like they were coming and that line scores a huge goal for us," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "Very timely. The first time that line scored this year and the timing couldn't have been any better."
Fresh off their annual stop in Las Vegas during their November road trip when the circus is in town, the Blackhawks started fast. They got the first eight shots on goal and took a 1-0 lead midway through the period when Kane set up Seabrook with a one-timer that beat Jones.
San Jose took more than 13 minutes before getting its first shot on goal.
"We were sloppy and a little soft in the first period and we paid for it," coach Peter DeBoer said. "The story of the game was the first period and how we started."
Notes: The Blackhawks have one regulation loss in their past 10 games against the Sharks. ... Dainius Zubrus made his debut with San Jose on the fourth line after signing a contract Tuesday. ... Sharks D Justin Braun was scratched with an upper-body injury.
