The Chicago Blackhawks moved into a tie for top spot in the West with a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Tomas Kopecky scored twice in the third period after Troy Brouwer put the Hawks ahead in the second, as Chicago ended a three-game losing streak and joined San Jose at the top of the Western Conference.
Goaltender Antti Niemi needed only 17 saves in the shutout for Chicago (45-19-6). Los Angeles (40-24-5) are now tied for seventh in the West and have lost two in a row.
Leading scorer Anze Kopitar recorded four shots, but could not lend support to netminder Jonathan Quick, who finished with 34 saves.
Troy Brouwer put the Blackhawks on top after 11 minutes, 36 seconds of the second period and Kopecky put the game out of reach with his fifth and sixth goals of the year in a span of 3 minutes, 20 seconds during the third.
“I was a little tired after the Olympics,” Slovakia international Kopecky told reporters. “I didn’t have the jump that I had before. [Ben] Eager and [Adam] Burish were skating all over, dishing me the puck. You get more confidence when you have the puck more.”
The Blackhawks had lost a trio of heart-breakers having given up the game-winning goal in the third period or overtime of each defeat.
The visitors were able to turn things around, however, despite a battered roster.
With defenders Brian Campbell and Brent Seabrook out, it cleared the way for Kopecky to step in for winger Dustin Byfuglien, who was forced to play a defenseman.
It was the second multi-game goal of Kopecky’s career, while Brouwer put in his 20th goal of the year.
Chicago now have five players with at least 20 scores.
The Kings will try to regroup beginning today against the New York Islanders.
“I think it is important for this team, at this time of year, to hit the reset button and come back to work tomorrow,” Kings captain Dustin Brown said.
Penguins 3, Bruins 0
In Boston, Marc-Andre Fleury made 17 saves for Pittsburgh’s first shutout of the season in the Penguins’ victory over the Boston Bruins.
Cooke, whose blindside hit sidelined Boston’s Marc Savard indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion in Pittsburgh on March 7, took the ice for the first time 1 minute, 53 seconds into the game as fans booed loudly. Just five seconds later, he and Shawn Thornton brushed against each other in the faceoff circle to the left of the Penguins net.
They dropped their gloves and, in a brief exchange, traded punches, before Cooke’s helmet fell off and he went to the ice.
Thornton, who kept swinging while Cooke was crouched in a vulnerable position, was given a 10-minute misconduct.
Tyler Kennedy, Alex Ponikarovsky and Michael Rupp scored.
Hurricanes 4, Capitals 3, OT
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Ray Whitney scored after 4 minutes, 2 seconds of overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes edged Washington.
Eric Fehr forced the overtime for Washington, scoring with 10 seconds left in regulation with goalie Semyon Varlamov off for an extra attacker.
Washington played without captain and leading scorer Alex Ovechkin, who is serving the second of a two-game suspension.
Eric Staal had a goal and set up Whitney’s winner, while Brett Carson and Chad LaRose also scored for Carolina. Defenseman Joe Corvo scored Washington’s first two goals.
Thursday’s other results:
• Coyotes 4, Panthers 3, SO
• Sabres 6, Lightning 2
• Canucks 3, Sharks 2
• Blues 4, Rangers 3
• Thrashers 6, Senators 3
• Maple Leafs 2, Devils 1, SO
• Flyers 3, Stars 2
• Predators 5, Wild 0
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