Panarin, Blackhawks beat Penguins for 2nd straight night

Coming off a two-goal performance, including an overtime victor, in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Panarin was again the difference in the second game of the back-to-back.

Chicago’s defense has a reputation of discipline and toughness, but Pittsburgh challenged the team from the second half of the second period on.

NOTES: Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews was named to the NHL All-Star Game on Wednesday. Sheary played against the Blackhawks on Tuesday.

The rookie winger scored two goals Wednesday night at the United Center to lead the Blackhawks to a 3-1 victory.

Panarin scored the first goal of the game when he converted a one-time opportunity from Patrick Kane in the second period. It was Panarin’s 12th goal of the season. Corey Crawford made 34 saves for the Blackhawks, who have won four straight. “If you don’t score any goals in any games, you start to think too much”.

Pittsburgh had 45 shots in Sullivan’s first game, but lost 4-1 to Washington on December 14.

Chicago appeared to be firmly in control going into the third and managed to improve to 17-0-1 when leading after two, but it wasn’t easy.

The Penguins closed to within 2-1 at 5:54 of the third period on Crosby’s goal. He almost added another after the ensuing faceoff only to have his backhand beat Crawford but hit the post.

It set the stage for a dazzling back-and-forth overtime, with two of the league’s most skilled teams taking advantage of the wide swathes of open ice available when there are six skaters on the surface instead of 10.

Kane recorded an assist on Panarin’s first goal.

Mike Condon stopped 19 shots for the Canadiens while counterpart Cory Schneider made 23 saves for New Jersey.

There are no such concerns in Chicago, which seems to have avoided any sort of letdown following a third Stanley Cup in five years last spring. Crosby’s recent run has been impressive, but Malkin has been even more impressive than Crosby. Darling’s last start was a New Year’s Eve overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche. Pittsburgh still has a tendency to overpass. Panarin’s first goal came at the end of a long shift for the second line as he capped it off with a shot from the left circle. It was tipped out of harm’s way. Anisimov is the second line center that Blackhawks fans – and Patrick Kane – have dreamed of having for some time now, bringing good size and a nice scoring touch with him. Pittsburgh is still a good team with a ton of talent and with Sidney Crosby heating up it could be trouble for the rest of the division but this is just another tough match up as they face off against a spectacular Hawks side in Chicago.

Lmao Rob Scuderi is so bad and Chicago fans have had enough of shit after just like, six games. The Penguins scratched D Adam Clendening, D David Warsofsky and F Scott Wilson….