Ryan Donato scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal on a rebound with 54 seconds left, and the visiting Chicago Blackhawks finally solved Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy in a 3-2 win over the Lightning on Thursday night.
After tallying in his fourth straight game in the second period, Donato put in the game-winner off a long rebound following a shot by Frank Nazar, who was sprung by Teuvo Teravainen on his second assist. It was Donato’s fifth tally of the season.
Nazar had a goal and an assist as Chicago moved to 4-0-1 in its past five games. Spencer Knight made 29 saves for the victory.
In dropping to 0-3-0 at home, the Lightning got a goal and an assist from Ryan McDonagh and a goal from Jake Guentzel. Nikita Kucherov had two assists to give him 999 career points, but the Lightning went 0-for-4 on the power play.
Vasilevskiy, who stopped 21 shots, lost for the first time in 14 career decisions against the Blackhawks. The 13-game winning streak was tied for the fourth longest by a goalie against one opponent in NHL history.
After Chicago’s Colton Dach hit the post from in close 8:36 into the first period, Nazar cashed in on a power play at 10:41 after the Lightning’s Emil Lilleberg went off for interference.
Operating down on the goal line, Tyler Bertuzzi fed a quick pass between the low slot and right circle. Nazar finished it by popping in a one-timer. Teravainen also got an assist.
A heavy hit by the Lightning’s Mitchell Chaffee left Sam Rinzel with a nasty cut over the left eye, sending the bloodied Chicago defenseman to the dressing room.
In the second, the Lightning tied it during a wild play around Knight, who wound up sprawled on the ice. McDonagh fired a long shot that Guentzel tipped for a tie score at 6:57.
On a delayed penalty less than four minutes later, Donato took a pass from Lukas Reichel and ripped a blistering wrister for a second Chicago lead.
Inside the middle frame’s final minute, Kucherov’s dish led to McDonagh’s goal, and the game was deadlocked 2-all after two.
Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde clipped Connor Bedard in the mouth in the third, drawing blood for a double-minor high-sticking penalty, but Chicago couldn’t take advantage of the power play.
–Field Level Media
