Comeau, Hintz lead Stars past Blackhawks, 5-1
CHICAGO - Blake Comeau scored twice, Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists and the Dallas Stars beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 on Thursday to end a two-game slide.
Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen also scored to help Dallas pull closer in the battle for the fourth place and the final playoff spot in the Central Division. The Stars (14-14-10) have 38 points, but have played just 38 games because a COVID-19 outbreak delayed their start this season.
Dominik Kubalik connected for the Blackhawks (18-18-5), who fell four points behind fourth-place Nashville as the Predators pounded Detroit. Chicago made a trade with Florida earlier Thursday to bolster its roster for a playoff push, but had to settle for a split in a two-game set with Dallas.
Anton Khudobin made 38 saves. Kevin Lankinen blocked 29 shots.
Comeau’s goals were just his second and third in 33 games. The Stars power play clicked on two of three chances.
Chicago added forward Brett Connolly, defenseman Riley Stillman and the rights to elite prospect Henrik Borgstrom from the Panthers earlier in the day. But the error-prone Blackhawks were outskated in the evening and lost for the 11th time in their last 16.
Hintz’s power-play goal midway through the first period opened the scoring
He popped in a rebound after Lankinen slid across the crease and made a sensational save on Jamie Benn’s one-timer off Joe Pavelski’s pass.
Kubalik tied it at 1 with 5:55 left in the first. Newly re-acquired forward Vinnie Hinostroza dug the puck from a scrum in the right corner, then centered to Kubalik who had slipped to the front of the net.
Robertson put Dallas back in front 2-1 at 1:15 of the second during a 4-on-4. Dallas cashed in moments after Nikita Zadorov’s turnover to Esa Lindell in the Chicago zone as Hintz fed Robertson in the crease.
Heiskanen’s power-play goal with 5:58 left in the second on a screened shot from the top of the slot upped it to 3-1.
Comeau scored on a breakaway 1:45 later to put Dallas in charge, 4-1. Sprung by Andrew Cogliano’s pass, Comeau skated in alone all the way from center ice after Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith fell.
Set up by Hintz, Comeau scored again from point-blank just 50 seconds in the third to complete the scoring.
DEAL FOR NOW … AND LATER
The Blackhawks sought to give their playoff push a boost by acquiring Connolly and Stillman from the Florida Panthers on Thursday for forward Lucas Wallmark and defenseman Lucas Carlsson.
The Blackhawks also got the rights to Borgstrom and Florida’s seventh-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft.
President of Hockey Operations and GM Stan Bowman hopes the 28-year-old Connolly and 23-year-old Stillman will join the team this weekend in Columbus.
The 6-foot-3 Connolly has just two goals and two assists in 21 games with Florida this season, but scored 19 goals last year and had a career-high 22 goals and 24 assists with Washington in 2018-19.
Stillman is known for a physical style. Borgstrom, Florida’s first-round pick and 23rd overall in 2016, is playing this season in Finland.
ADDED BOWNESS
Dallas coach Rick Bowness returned to the bench after a false positive COVID-19 test caused him to miss the third period of a game Sunday at Carolina and Tuesday’s 4-2 loss in Chicago. Bowness, 66 and the oldest NHL coach, has been vaccinated.
UP NEXT
Stars: Host Florida on Saturday.
Blackhawks: At Columbus on Saturday for the first of a two-game set.