Andre Burakovsky scored the game-winning goal on a third-period power play, Ilya Mikheyev had two goals and Spencer Knight made 22 saves to help the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the visiting Utah Mammoth 3-1 on Monday.
Chicago earned its first victory on the heels of three straight one-goal defeats to start the season.
Burakovsky put the Blackhawks ahead for good at 8:55 of the third. After Chicago won a puck battle along the boards, Nick Foligno backhanded a pass to Burakovsky, who converted a wide-open opportunity in front of the net.
JJ Peterka scored for the Mammoth. Utah goaltender Vitek Vanecek stopped 11 shots.
The Mammoth went 0-for-3 on the power play compared to 1-for-3 for the Blackhawks.
Mikheyev opened the scoring at 9:21 of the second period, corralling a pass down low and rushing the net before jamming the puck past Vanecek at the near post. Mikheyev tried a similar move moments earlier and was denied.
Jason Dickinson, who returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury, recorded the primary assist on the play.
Utah dictated the pace throughout the period, registering six shots on goal compared to zero for Chicago in the first seven-plus minutes of the second. The Mammoth outshot the Blackhawks 13-3 in the period and 23-14 for the game.
A prime Utah scoring chance dissolved shortly before Chicago’s goal, as Dylan Guenther was unable to get a stick on Peterka’s pass from the left wing as Guenther darted toward the crease.
The Mammoth later benefited, however, when the roles were reversed. Peterka netted the tying goal at 1:02 of the third period, scoring on a wrist shot from the low left circle off a net-front feed from Guenther.
Chicago held the advantage for just under eight minutes before Burakovsky scored while skating in his 700th NHL game. The Blackhawks killed a crucial penalty after Connor Bedard was whistled for holding with 8:19 left.
Mikheyev scored an empty-net goal with 5.1 seconds to play.
The game was briefly delayed in the first period following a short power outage at the United Center.
–Field Level Media
