By Canadian Press

Blackhawks score five times in third period to get past slumping Oilers

Feb 7, 2019 | 11:00 PM

EDMONTON — Exploding for five goals in the third period has kept the Chicago Blackhawks on a roll.

Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist as the Blackhawks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 on Tuesday for their fifth-straight win.

“We know what we are doing is working and we are hanging in games,” said Chicago captain Jonathan Toews. “Whether we are ahead or down a goal going into the third period, we can find ways to create offence and come out on top. It is nice for our team to win in different ways, it only adds to our confidence.”

Erik Gustafsson, John Hayden, Dylan Strome, Drake Caggiula and Dominik Kahun also scored for the Blackhawks (21-24-9), who has managed to get back into the wild-card playoff race.

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Leon Draisaitl scored both goals for Edmonton (23-25-5), which matched a season-high sixth-straight loss.

“Same type of thing as the last couple of games. We control a lot of the first two (periods), and then go to sleep in the third,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid. “I’m not sure what that is. We can talk all we want. We’ve just got to find a way to grab (the game) when it’s going like that.”

Cam Ward stopped 25 shots for the win in net.

Cam Talbot turned aside 23-of-27 shots for Edmonton before giving way to Mikko Koskinen, who made six saves.

Chicago struck first before the game was two minutes old when a Gustafsson point shot ticked off the side of defender Adam Larsson’s leg and got past Talbot just four seconds into a power play.

Edmonton tied the game up on a power play of its own with three minutes left in the opening period when Draisaitl pounced on a rebound for his 30th goal of the season.

The Oilers made it 2-1 on a two-man advantage with just over a minute remaining as McDavid fed it across to Draisaitl, who scored again on a one-timer.

The Blackhawks tied the game four minutes into the third as an Edmonton turnover led to a goal by Hayden, and then surged into the lead 1:33 later when a Strome shot went through Darnell Nurse’s legs and past Talbot.

Kane extended the lead to 4-2 just 28 seconds later when he lifted a stick to score his 32nd of the season. It extended his point streak to 12 games.

Switching Talbot out for Koskinen didn’t turn the tide as the Blackhawks scored again a mere 27 seconds after on a goal by Caggiula, a former Oiler.

Edmonton allowed a fifth goal in the third period on the power play on a tally by Kahun with eight minutes left.

“It is nice to keep this roll going and finally turn things a bit,” said Chicago coach Jeremy Colliton. “We have a bit of momentum and we are playing well. When you have the momentum and keep playing well, you usually get the results. We just need to keep pushing and we will get our points.”

Both teams are back in action on Thursday as the Blackhawks return home to host the Vancouver Canucks and the Oilers head to Minnesota to play the Wild.

Notes: Oilers defenceman Oscar Klefbom returned to the lineup after missing the last 21 games with a broken finger on his left hand.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press