CHICAGO _ The Golden Knights played their first game in franchise history just 15 months ago, so perhaps it wasn't too embarrassing that the Blackhawks never had beaten them in five meetings entering their game Saturday night at the United Center.
On the other hand ...
The Golden Knights played their first game in franchise history just 15 months ago, so it's pretty embarrassing the Blackhawks never had beaten them.
At no moment during those five previous meetings were the Hawks the better team. The Golden Knights arrived last season fully formed en route to an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final and after a slow start this season are again one of the top teams in the league.
The Hawks blew a two-goal lead and Shea Theodore scored 1 minute, 19 seconds into overtime to give the Golden Knights a 4-3 victory Saturday night at the United Center and keep them perfect in six tries against the Hawks.
A tying goal for the Knights by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare with 6:58 remaining was wiped out when it was ruled Bellemare had kicked the puck into the net. But Paul Stastny's tally at the 4:04 mark counted and got the game to overtime.
Alex DeBrincat had a pair of goals, and Patrick Kane scored his 25th of the season for the Hawks.
The Golden Knights dominated those first five meetings, winning every one in regulation and outscoring the Hawks 26-14, including an 8-3 drubbing Nov. 27 at the United Center. The Knights were 18-4-3 in their last 25 games entering Saturday.
"They're getting back to what gave them success last year," Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. "Tremendous work ethic. They contest everything. Their compete up and down the lineup is probably their biggest strength. They got some guys who can make plays, definitely. They defend hard, they take pride in being tough to play against, and you're under pressure all the time."
The Hawks played one of their best periods of the season while taking a 2-0 lead after the first. DeBrincat's 22nd goal after some nifty stick work put the Hawks ahead 1-0 with 15:24 left in the first. It was the fourth straight game DeBrincat scored.
A few minutes later, Patrick Kane had a goal wiped off by video replay after officials ruled Brandon Saad had been offside. But that only delayed Kane, whose power-play goal with 4:40 left in the first gave the Hawks a 2-0 lead.
After the Knights' Alex Tuch made it 2-1, DeBrincat's second of the game restored the two-goal lead on the back end of a four-minute power play following Jon Merrill going off for high-sticking. Kane found DeBrincat for a one-timer that easily beat goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Knights' Ryan Carpenter scored with 54 seconds left in the second to cut the Hawks' lead to 3-2.
Kane's output through two periods gave him 10 goals and 11 assists in his last 11 games. Erik Gustafsson assisted on both power-play goals to give him his own eight-game point streak, just two shy of Pierre Pilote's team record for defensemen.
"We're definitely playing a better team game, and when you play a better team game, the game's easier," Duncan Keith said. "I'm not saying the games have been easy for us, but at least ... we can rely on a foundation to whether storms and get through some tougher periods."
