CHICAGO — In a hard-fought game at home, the Chicago Blackhawks managed to end a five-game losing streak by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 on Sunday night. The victory was powered by Ilya Mikheyev who netted two goals, while Frank Nazar contributed with another. Chicago’s goalie, Spencer Knight, was a significant factor in the win, stopping an impressive 28 shots.
On the opposing side, Pittsburgh saw Rickard Rakell score during a power play, with Alex Nedeljkovic matching Knight’s effort by also saving 28 shots. Unfortunately for the Penguins, they have now lost five of their last seven games. After a goalless initial period, Chicago struck first late in the second. Frank Nazar broke the deadlock by scoring a short-handed goal at 18:55, capitalizing on Teuvo Teravainen’s 42nd assist of the season.
In the third period, Mikheyev extended the Blackhawks’ lead to 2-0 at 9:40 with a wrist shot, aided by assists from Connor Bedard and Sam Rinzel. He wrapped up the victory with an empty-net goal with less than a minute left in play. Rakell attempted to rally Pittsburgh by scoring at 14:36 in the third, reaching a personal milestone with his 34th goal this season, assisted by Bryan Rust and Ville Koivunen.
Penguins: Sidney Crosby, coming off an impressive performance in the previous game wherein he accumulated four points against Dallas, was held at bay. His league-leading 12-game point streak was snapped, as he was limited to just two shots on goal in 19:43 of ice time.
Blackhawks: Before this win, Chicago faced challenges, losing 12 of their last 13 games. Their previous victory came against Philadelphia on March 23.
A decisive moment came towards the end of the game when Spencer Knight made a vital save with only a minute to go, setting up Mikheyev’s second goal and effectively quelling Pittsburgh’s comeback efforts.
In terms of statistics, the goal by Nazar marked only the fifth short-handed goal the Penguins have conceded this season.
Looking ahead, these teams are set to clash again on Tuesday, this time in Pittsburgh.