CHICAGO (AP) – Jonathan Toews made a couple of big plays. Scott Darling stayed calm in net. Kris Versteeg and Patrick Sharp pitched in at key moments.
The Chicago Blackhawks needed several players to step up after Patrick Kane left with an injury, and they delivered with a scrappy performance Tuesday night.
Toews scored in regulation and the shootout, and the Blackhawks stopped a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.
“That’s a big two points,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “As a group, we’ve got to make sure everybody plays the right way, plays tighter, and has some responsibility to their games. We’ve got to look to play tight, low-scoring games.”
Kane, tied for the NHL lead with 64 points coming into the day, lost his balance and crashed into the boards after he was cross-checked by defenseman Alex Petrovic with 12:11 left in the first period. Kane stayed down on the ice for a short time and appeared to be favoring his left arm or shoulder as he skated to the bench and went straight to the locker room with an upper-body injury.