Wins have been rare for the Chicago Blackhawks of late.
Luckily for them, they’ve been able to build up a decent enough lead in the Central Division, and despite one win in their last six games prior to Thursday, they’ve maintained top spot over the recently red hot Minnesota Wild.
The Blackhawks got an added boost with the return of Marian Hossa to their lineup Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite being separated by 15 points in the overall standings entering this game, the Sabres gave the Blackhawks everything they could handle. It helped that Anders Nilsson made 39 saves and was almost unbeatable in the first period, when Buffalo surrendered 20 shots on goal.
The Sabres were just over two minutes away from stealing two points on the road. Jack Eichel’s goal, his eighth of the season, looked like it might stand as the winner, before Artem Anisimov tied it up with a late goal, his 17th, and Patrick Kane won it in overtime for Chicago.
Patrick Kane: "That could be huge win for us. You lose that one, maybe you start losing a little confidence." #Blackhawks
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 6, 2017
The Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.