Boris Katchouk scored in the ninth round, Petr Mrazek made the clinching save on San Jose’s Filip Zadina, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Sharks 2-1 in a shootout on Tuesday night.
Chicago broke a three-game losing streak in the matchup of the NHL’s two worst teams while sending San Jose to its third straight defeat and 15th loss in 16 games.
“I didn’t even know it was nine rounds,” Mrazek said. “I stopped counting after six or seven. I was hoping someone was going to score.”
Chicago’s Rem Pitlick and San Jose’s Kevin Labanc scored in the first two rounds of the shootout, after which both teams misfired more than they were saved.
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Katchouk beat Mackenzie Blackwood on a backhand by his right toe for the winner. Cole Guttman scored for the Blackhawks and Mrazek had 37 stops, his fourth straight game to allow two or fewer goals.
“It wasn’t a pretty night for both teams, but we grinded it out, got it done, and it was a nice goal to finish it,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “We just couldn’t get gathered together, but getting on the scoreboard early, on the power play, was huge.”
Ryan Carpenter scored for the Sharks and Blackwood made 24 saves.
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“To get a point, we’re disappointed not to get two, but at the same time, to find a way to battle back in a tight game is a positive,” Carpenter said. “Blackie made some big saves for us when it was a 1-0 game on some odd-man rushes. So that kept us in it.”
Guttman scored his power-play goal when a rebound of Ryan Donato’s drive caromed off the right knee of Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro and banked past Blackwood 10:41 into the first period.
“Good puck movement, good recoveries and obviously a lucky bounce there,” Guttman said of his goal, Chicago’s first on a power play in four games.
It was the sixth straight game the offensively challenged Blackhawks had scored first.
Carpenter tied the game from the slot, converting Justin Bailey's pass from behind the net, 5:13 into the third period.
Until then, Mrazek had been the star of the game, thwarting the Sharks, especially Fabian Zetterlund, who had eight of San Jose’s 38 shots.
“Pete was excellent,” Richardson said. “In tight, if somebody tried to deke him, he was aggressive with his stick. I think that made the difference.”
San Jose’s Luke Kunin had a great opportunity from the slot with 1:55 remaining in regulation time, but missed the net completely.
“We’ve been having a hard time scoring goals here the last few days,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “But if we play like that, the pucks will eventually end up going in.”
Chicago’s Jason Dickinson was held off the scoresheet after signing a two-year contract extension in the morning.
Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy was scratched with a lower-body injury, but may play Wednesday in Buffalo. Both Chicago defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and San Jose center Mikael Granlund missed the third period with undisclosed injuries.
UP NEXT
Sharks: Host Anaheim on Saturday night.
Blackhawks: At Buffalo on Wednesday night.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
