Blackhawks defeat Jets, win fourth straight

WINNIPEG --Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists to help the Chicago Blackhawks to their fourth straight win, 5-2 against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre on Friday.
Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, who are 4-1-0 on their six-game road trip, which ends Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Blackhawks (34-17-5) avoided a season sweep by the Jets. They were outscored 14-5 in the first four games.
WATCH: All Blackhawks vs. Jets highlights
"I think it's even more important that, you know, we were in the same position against them the last time, up a goal in the third, and didn't get the job done," Kane said.
The Jets (25-28-4) lost their third straight game and fourth straight at home.
Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa scored for the Blackhawks, and Corey Crawford made 28 saves.
Kane's first-period goal was the 269th of his NHL career, passing Tony Amonte for most by a United States-born player in Blackhawks history.
Bryan Little and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets.

"I thought we had a bit of a slow start," Little said. "I thought they came out hungry and controlled a lot of the play early in the game and got that goal right away. I thought we did a good job in the second and the third battling back and getting our chances and making it a close game."
Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves for Winnipeg. It was his first loss in five starts against the Blackhawks this season.
Kane scored at 15:37 of the first period to make it 1-0.
"We did what we had to tonight, scored a late goal, big goal there by [Keith] and couple empty-netters," Kane said. "[It] feels good to beat these guys, especially after they've had the success they've had against us."
Little tied the game 1-1 at 1:43 of the second period, picking up a rebound off Toby Enstrom's point shot and chipping it past Crawford for his 16th goal.
Anisimov made it 2-1 at 12:16, getting his stick on a rebound from Panarin's shot from the top of the circle and directing it past Hellebuyck for his 19th of the season.
Keith scored at 17:01 of the third period to make it 3-1. Hossa scored his 20th shorthanded into an empty net at 18:09.
Lowry made it 4-2 at 18:49 on the power play. Panarin scored into an empty net at 19:44.

Goal of the game

Anisimov forced a turnover by Blake Wheeler near the Jets blue line and got the puck to Panarin, who made a cross-ice pass to Kane for his 18th goal.

Save of the game

With the Blackhawks leading 2-1 in the second period, defenseman Brent Seabrook cleared a puck that was trickling through the legs of Crawford and approaching the goal line.

Highlight of the game

Crawford sprawled out to get his right pad on Mathieu Perreault's attempt at a wide-open net at 13:21 of the first period.

Unsung performance of the game

Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson had six blocked shots, was plus-5 and had an assist in 24:11.

They said it

"We've been trying to find that part of our game, whether it's the defensemen incorporating into the rush, jumping off points. Our possession zone time has been way more effective and more dangerous with chances made off the rush. You don't have to defend as much." -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville on playing more offensively
"We regroup [Saturday]. It's kind of nice that we play right away again and try to get something going. We're desperate for points right now and we need to get on a roll. We're all glad to put this behind us and try and get a win [Saturday]." -- Jets forward Bryan Little

"There are factors to it. Anything that I say is going to sound like an excuse so I really don't want to make them. The ability to drive and dominate, to get on any kind of runs, one piece of your game has to be elite at different times. So your goaltender has to get real hot for a few games and then special teams have to get hot for a few games and then that ability to drive in night in and night out gives you that. Yeah, there's some consistency that's not there in our game, that's true." -- Jets coach Paul Maurice

Need to know

Hossa scored 20 goals for the 15th time in his NHL career. … Winnipeg has allowed at least three goals in 14 straight games.

What's next

Blackhawks: At the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, WGN, NHL.TV)
Jets: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN, SUN, NHL.TV)