CHICAGO _ The first three periods were flashy and fun but decided nothing.
It took some free hockey to do that. Again.
The Blackhawks ended regulation tied for the third straight game. After winning the first two they couldn't take the extra point this time as they blew a pair of two-goal leads and fell to the Coyotes 4-3 in a shootout Sunday night at the United Center.
Robin Lehner was spectacular in regulation and overtime but gave up goals to Nick Schmaltz and Conor Garland to lose in a shootout for the third time in three tries this season.
The Hawks dropped to 12-12-6 while the Coyotes improved to 18-10-4, including 11-4-3 on the road. The two teams will meet again Thursday in Phoenix.
Each team had power plays in the extra session but didn't convert.
The Coyotes nearly took the lead midway through the third when Clayton Keller was alone in front of the net and one-timed a shot that Lehner miraculously kept out of the net with a sweeping glove save. Lehner finished with 44 saves.
Lehner made perhaps an even more incredible save in overtime when he moved to his left to take away an open net from Jakob Chychrun.
The Hawks jumped to a 3-1 lead despite getting outshot 16-11 in the first period. Calvin de Haan zigzagged deep into the Coyotes' zone before centering into the slot, where Jonathan Toews was able to get just enough of a backhand on it to make it 1-0. Toews finished with a goal and two assists.
Alex DeBrincat's power-play goal, after a sweet saucer pass from Patrick Kane, gave the Hawks a two-goal edge. It was DeBrincat's eighth of the season and third straight game with a goal.
The Coyotes' Christian Fischer made it 2-1, but Dominik Kubalik tipped in a Connor Murphy shot from the point to restore the Hawks' two-goal lead.
The lead disappeared in the second period after the Coyotes scored a fast pair of power-play goals. While Jonathan Toews was off for tripping, Conor Garland scored his 12th of the season to make it 3-2.
It might have stayed that way a little longer, but Dennis Gilbert took an instigator penalty after taking exception to a hit that Jason Demers put on DeBrincat. Gilbert gave Demers a pounding but also gave the Coyotes another power play.
They converted seconds before it expired when Carl Soderberg's shot struck Slater Koekkoek's stick and rainbowed over Robin Lehner and into the net to tie the game.
Toews nearly gave the Hawks the lead again late in the second when he corralled his own rebound and seemed to have an open net. Darcy Kuemper sprawled to his right, though, and barely kept Toews' attempt from going in.
