CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Patrick Kane had two goals and two assists, and the Chicago Blackhawks raced out to a four-goal lead and held on to beat the Calgary Flames 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Kane set up goals by Olli Maatta at 4:14 and Alex Debrincat at 5:35 and then made it 3-0 at 12:44 of the first period when he cut across the slot and beat David Rittich with a wrist shot from 30 feet out.
Kane’s 21st goal of the season was the 377th of his career, tying him with Denis Savard for fourth on the Blackhawks’ all-time list. The top three are Bobby Hull (604), Stan Makita (541) and Steve Larmer (406).
Kane’s second of the game was an empty-netter at 19:59 of the third.
Kane finishes the decade as the NHL’s top scorer with 802 points, just ahead of Sidney Crosby (788).
Dylan Strome also scored for Chicago (18-17-6), which has won three straight and five of six.
Sam Bennett, Michael Frolik and Sean Monahan scored for Calgary (20-17-5). The Flames are winless in their last five at home. (0-4-1).
Robin Lehner was excellent in net for the Blackhawks, winning his sixth straight start to improve to 12-6-4. Among his 41 saves was a highlight-reel stop in the first period when he dove across to make a paddle stop off Johnny Gaudreau, who was set up for what looked like a sure goal by Derek Ryan. Five minutes into the second, Lehner thwarted Andrew Mangiapane on a breakaway.
Rittich and the Flames fell behind 3-0 for the second game in a row. On Sunday night, in a 5-2 loss at home to Vancouver, Calgary was down 3-0 less than 11 minutes into the game.
Rittich was pulled that night after three goals on seven shots. This time, after three goals on 11 shots, interim head coach Geoff Ward left him in and he was solid the rest of the way, finishing with 26 saves. His record falls to 17-10-5.
Chicago made it 4-0 at 9:41 of the second when Strome strolled in uncontested and scored from 25 feet out into the top corner.
The Flames got on the scoreboard with six seconds left in the second, Bennett knocking in his first goal since Nov. 2 on a feed from Derek Ryan.
Calgary then made it close in the late-going on Frolik’s short-handed goal at 15:30, off a Duncan Keith turnover, and Monahan’s goal on a Matthew Tkachuk rebound at 16:48.
But the Blackhawks withstood the late push over the final couple minutes with Rittich pulled for an extra skater.
NOTES: Flames D TJ Brodie (illness) was unable to play, which opened up a spot for Michael Stone. … Also returning to Calgary’s line-up after being scratched last game was LW Zac Rinaldo and LW Sam Bennett. … Chicago LW Alex Nylander was a healthy scratch for Chicago.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: At Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Flames: Host New York Rangers on Thursday.
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