Marc-Andre Fleury of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save against Warren Foegele of the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at United Center. The Blackhawks won 4-3 on March 3, 2022 in Chicago.Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
Alex DeBrincat scored 2:23 into overtime, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat Duncan Keith and the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Thursday night.
Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for Chicago, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves. Dominik Kubalik and Sam Lafferty also scored.
With Edmonton star Leon Draisaitl in the penalty box for tripping Caleb Jones in overtime, Kane set up DeBrincat for the winning one-timer. It was DeBrincat’s 30th goal of the season.
The game was tied at 2 in the third when Kubalik made the most of a mistake by Mikko Koskinen. The veteran goaltender played the puck from behind the Edmonton net right to Kubalik, who fired it in for his 11th goal 2:49 into the third period.
Chicago carried the lead all the way to the final minute, but Edmonton tied it when Evander Kane played the puck toward the middle and it appeared to go off the stick of Chicago defenseman Seth Jones and into the net.
Evander Kane scored twice for Edmonton, which closed out a 2-3 road trip. Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, and Koskinen made 28 stops.
It was Keith’s first game back in Chicago since he was traded to Edmonton in July. The 38-year-old defenseman won three Stanley Cup titles during 16 seasons with the Blackhawks.
Keith heard loud cheers when he was introduced with Edmonton’s starting lineup, and then a long, sustained standing ovation after Chicago welcomed him back with a highlight video in the first period.
He acknowledged the warm response with a wave from the visiting bench, and then took a quick skate on the ice and raised his stick in the air when the cheers persisted.
Keith’s return coincided with the Blackhawks paying tribute to Niklas Hjalmarsson, another key defenseman from the team’s run of three championships in six seasons. Hjalmarsson was traded to Arizona in June 2017 and retired in July.
Hjalmarsson was saluted with a pregame highlight video, leading to another standing ovation from the crowd.
The Blackhawks had dropped four of five. But they were bolstered by the return of captain Jonathan Toews (concussion protocol), fellow forward Tyler Johnson (neck surgery) and defensemen Calvin de Haan (right groin strain) and Riley Stillman (left shoulder) from injuries.
Lafferty put Chicago in front when he beat Koskinen through the goaltender’s legs at 2:34. But Edmonton responded when Connor McDavid set up Draisaitl on the power play for his NHL-high 38th goal at 14:35.
The teams then exchanged goals one more time in the first. Patrick Kane got a pass from Dylan Strome and converted a one-timer from the right circle, but Draisaitl found a streaking Evander Kane for the tying goal for Edmonton with 26 seconds left.
De Haan had a chance to get the lead back for Chicago in the second, but he sent a shot off a post about 13 minutes into the period.
Making moves
Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was placed on injured reserve. Nugent-Hopkins left in the first period of Saturday’s 4-3 win at Florida because of an upper-body injury. He flew back to Edmonton earlier this week.
Fellow forward Kyle Turris was activated from IR. He made his first appearance since Jan. 22.
Injuries
Oilers: Defenseman Tyson Barrie left with an upper-body injury.
Blackhawks: Coach Derek King said he thinks forward Reese Johnson will be cleared for full contact next week. Johnson was placed on IR on Dec. 12 with a fractured right clavicle.
Up next
Oilers: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Blackhawks: At the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.