Frank Nazar scored on the power play 2:36 into overtime and Connor Bedard had two assists to lift the host Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory against the Utah Mammoth on Monday.
Drew Commesso made 22 saves for the Blackhawks, who stopped a three-game skid while ending the Mammoth’s three-game winning streak.
Andrew Mangiapane and Andre Burakovsky also scored for the Blackhawks.
Vitek Vanecek had 23 saves for the Mammoth, who got first period strikes from Barrett Hayton and Dylan Guenther.
Utah outshot Chicago 8-6 in the third period, though the Blackhawks largely commanded the pace. Vanecek was especially sharp midway through the period, sliding to stop Bedard on a prime chance in the slot off a Ryan Greene feed from the side boards.
Nazar lost the handle on a breakaway moments before he scored the game-winner on a wrist shot. Utah’s Nick Schmaltz had tripped Burakovsky at the 1:56 mark to set Chicago up on the man advantage.
Utah took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, as the teams combined on three goals 6:43 apart.
Hayton opened the scoring at 9:43 of the first period, redirecting Nick DeSimone’s long wrist shot from the point past Commesso. Mangiapane registered his first goal with Chicago less than four minutes later, as a Ryan Donato shot from the right circle deflected off Mangiapane as he battled for positioning in the crease.
The Mammoth regained the advantage at 16:26 when Guenther slid a wrist shot through Commesso’s five-hole to finish a 2-on-1 break from the Chicago blue line. It was Guenther’s 30th goal of the season.
The Blackhawks tied the game at 15:35 of the second period on Burakovsky’s first goal since Jan. 7.
After a Bedard shot was deflected, Burakovsky gathered the rebound from behind the net and cradled the puck over Vanecek’s blocker and into the top of the net.
Commesso started in goal with Spencer Knight unavailable due to illness and Arvid Soderblom resting after playing during Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss in Dallas.
Monday marked Commesso’s first NHL action since Jan. 10, when he posted a 36-save shutout at Nashville to earn his first victory in his fourth career start.
The Mammoth went 0-for-2 on the power play compared to 1-for-4 for the Blackhawks.
Chicago, which is tied for last place in the Central Division, defeated fourth-place Utah for the third time in as many tries this season. The clubs are set to conclude the season series in Utah on Thursday.
–Field Level Media
