Toews scores in OT as Blackhawks beat Sharks 4-3
CHICAGO (AP) A wild start was followed by a quiet lull and then a big finish from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
Toews scored at 2:21 of overtime, Kane had a goal and an assist, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Sunday night to put a splashy bow on a successful weekend.
Toews skated in with Kane for a 2-on-1 and tipped home a nice pass for his 11th goal. It was the captain's third overtime goal of the season.
''I don't know if they were changing, if they were tired,'' Toews said. ''I think sometimes, that's what it comes down to, if you get caught on a bad change or a bad matchup where you've been out there for a long time. We did a good job of keeping our legs fresh and keeping the puck when we didn't have much.''
Kane scored his 21st goal in the first period to help the defending Stanley Cup champions win for the second straight day and seventh time in nine games overall. The star forward has two goals and two assists in three games since his 26-game point streak ended last Tuesday against Colorado.
Next up is a trip to Dallas and a showdown with the Western Conference-leading Stars on Tuesday night.
''It's going to be a fun game,'' Chicago forward Andrew Shaw said. ''They're a high-energy team with a lot of speed and skill.''
Joonas Donskoi had a goal and an assist for San Jose, which has dropped eight of 10. Tommy Wingels, a native of nearby Evanston, and Joe Pavelski also scored.
San Jose grabbed a 3-2 lead on Pavelski's 16th goal at 14:45 of the second. Paul Martin's shot was tipped by Joe Thornton and got past Chicago center Dennis Rasmussen before it got to Pavelski in front of the net.
''It was a nice goal at the moment, but we've got to find that next one,'' Pavelski said.
Chicago killed off two penalties in the third before Shaw made a great move to set up his sixth of the season. The scrappy forward drove to the net and stayed with the puck when Martin Jones tried to poke it away, and then beat the goalie into the right side of the net for the tying score at 6:51.
San Jose almost jumped in front again, but Corey Crawford made a terrific glove save on a shot by Donskoi with 8:57 remaining in the third.
''I think it was a bouncing puck, but I think I got a pretty good shot on it,'' Donskoi said. ''It was a great save.''
Crawford finished with 33 stops, and Artem Anisimov also scored for Chicago.
The Blackhawks played without Marian Hossa after the veteran winger was a surprise scratch with an upper-body injury. Hossa, who turns 37 on Jan. 12, played 23 shifts and 16:50 in a 3-2 shootout win Saturday at Buffalo, including two shifts in overtime.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Hossa will not travel to Dallas, but could return after the Christmas break.
The Sharks were without Joel Ward for the first time this season. The forward was scratched with an unspecified injury after he was on the receiving end of a boarding penalty by Ottawa defenseman Mark Borowiecki in the final seconds of the Sharks' 4-2 loss on Friday night.
''It's a big hole for us, but I think everybody stepped up,'' San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said.
While each team was short-handed, neither side had any trouble scoring early on.
There were four goals in the first 15:39. Anisimov scored his 12th after a bad turnover by Martin, but Donskoi responded with a nifty move on a breakaway and Wingels scored on a power play for his third of the season, giving the Sharks a 2-1 lead with 6:18 left in the period.
Kane then tied it with a rebound score. He has at least one point in 32 of Chicago's 35 games.
NOTES: San Jose forward Ben Smith returned from a concussion for his first game since Oct. 31. It also was his first game in Chicago since he was acquired in a trade with the Blackhawks on March 2. ... Toews played in his 600th NHL game. ... Chicago C Phillip Danault got an assist on Shaw's goal for his first NHL point in his fourth career game.
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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap
