RECAP: Blackhawks Erase Three-Goal Deficit, Fall Late to Maple Leafs

Chicago erased a three-goal deficit on Saturday night in Toronto, but suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Maple Leafs off an awkward bounce behind the goal that ended up in their own net in the dying minutes of regulation.
The Blackhawks found themselves down 4-1 in the game's opening 24 minuted and scored thrice in a 15-minute span to pull even just past the midpoint of the third, only to have a Toronto dump in along the boards take a deflection off a glass stanchion and pop right into the slot for a tap-in game-winner from former Blackhawk David Kampf.
Jonathan Toews, Connor Murphy, Dominik Kubalik and Jake McCabe all scored in the loss, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 21 of the 26 shots he faced.

POSTGAME LINKS
GAMECENTER: CHI at TOR
ANALYSIS: Comeback Bid Spoiled Late in Toronto
MEDICAL: Borgstrom Out with Non-COVID Illness
HIGHLIGHTS: Blackhawks at Maple Leafs
GALLERY: Blackhawks at Maple Leafs
INSIDER: Candid Convo with Interim GM Kyle Davidson
BLACKHAWKS OF THE GAME: Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy each tallied a goal and an assist on the night.
STAT OF THE NIGHT: The Blackhawks scored four goals in 5-on-5 play, a season-high.
UP NEXT: The Blackhawks return home for a stretch of three straight at the United Center with a meeting against the Calgary Flames on Monday night, where Marc-Andre Fleury will be honored ahead of the game for
his 500th NHL win
in Montreal (
TICKETS
).

GAME RECAP

CHI: 1, TOR: 0

1st - 1:53 - Jonathan Toews (Connor Murphy, Reese Johnson)

After 25 games without a goal to open the year, Jonathan Toews posted a tally in a second straight tilt to open the scoring in Toronto. In a one-on-one with Brandon Hagel, Toews looked his winger's way and then kept hit himself, putting a wrister past Petr Mrazek's blocker for a 1-0 lead.

CHI: 1, TOR: 1

1st - 2:54 - John Tavares (Auston Matthews, William Nylander) -- PP

Just a minute and a tick later, the Maple Leafs tied it on the game's opening power play. John Tavares took a pass from Auston Matthews at the top of the near circle, walked in towards goal and put a shot on goal that squeaked through Kevin Lankinen and in for a 1-1 game.

CHI: 1, TOR: 2

1st - 9:14 - William Nylander (John Tavares, Timothy Liljegren)

Toronto took their first lead of the night off a dump and chase exchange between Willian Nylander and John Tavares. Nylander brought the puck into the offensive zone and dumped it into the corner for Tavares to retrieve. The latter beat the foot race to the loose puck and quickly slid a backhander into the slot for the former for a 2-1 advantage.

CHI: 1, TOR: 3

1st - 14:32 - Auston Matthews (Ondrej Kase, William Nylander) -- PP

The Maple Leafs power play struck again before the period's end, again emanating from the near-side circle. William Nylander put a shot towards goal that Kevin Lankinen made the initial stop on and then a rebound stop on Ondrej Kase, but third time was the charm as Auston Matthews found a second rebound in the slot for a 3-1 lead.

CHI: 1, TOR: 4

2nd - 3:25 - Pierre Engvall (Kyle Clifford, Alex Steeves)

Toronto added to their lead early in the second as the fourth line found the back of the net. Off an offensive-zone cycle, Pierre Engvall collected the puck in the far corner, walked behind the Blackhawks net and towards the faceoff dot on the other side before spinning and firing a shot that beat a screened Kevin Lankinen under the arm for a 4-1 score.

CHI: 2, TOR: 4

2nd - 16:31 - Connor Murphy (Brandon Hagel)

The Blackhawks pulled one back, taking over the game late in the second period and earning a power play opportunity in the final few minutes. Brandon Hagel did what Brandon Hagel does late in the advantage, winning a puck back in the corner, fighting through a few Leafs and then working his way up to the point, leaving a drop pass for Connor Murphy. The defenseman walked in and put a shot through a Dominik Kubalik screen for a 4-2 score just after the man advantage ended.

CHI: 3, TOR: 4

3rd - 1:47 - Dominik Kubalik (Philipp Kuashev, Jake McCabe)

Chicago pulled within a goal just over 100 seconds into the third. Off a defensive-zone clear by Jake McCabe, Philipp Kurashev legged out two Leafs defenders to the loose puck back in their own zone, drawing both his way, and then slid a cross-ice pass to a lurking Dominik Kubalik at the back door for a one-time tally, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

CHI: 4, TOR: 4

3rd - 10:42 - Jake McCabe (Riley Stillman, Ryan Carpenter)

The deficit was erased just after the midpoint of the third period as Jake McCabe notched his second of the season. After sustained time in the offensive zone, the puck shifted back to Riley Stillman at the point, who quickly slid a pass to his partner. Under pressure, McCabe floated a shot from distance through screens from Jonathan Toews and Brandon Hagel in front, finding the net behind Petr Mrazek for a 4-4 tie.

CHI: 4, TOR: 5

3rd - 18:40 - David Kampf

The Blackhawks comeback was thwarted off a broken play that former Blackhawk David Kampf put into the net for a 5-4 lead. Off a Leafs dumps in around the boards, Kevin Lankinen left his net to stop it behind the goal line, but the puck hit a stanchion in the glass and popped into the slot, where Kampf was able to tuck a shot past a diving Lankinen for the winner.