Brandon Hagel marked his 100th NHL game in style, scoring his first career hat trick and even getting into a fight with P.K. Subban.
Hagel and Patrick Kane each scored three goals, and Kirby Dach broke a third-period tie to help the Chicago Blackhawks secure an 8-5 win over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. The Blackhawks had been struggling, losing three straight and seven of their last nine.
“That was huge,” said interim coach Derek King. “That was real big.”
Alex DeBrincat and Seth Jones each provided three assists for Chicago (19-26-8), while Kevin Lankinen made 31 saves in his return from a right-hand injury that had sidelined him since Jan. 22.
For the second consecutive game, Jesper Bratt led New Jersey (18-29-5) with two goals. Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler each contributed a goal and two assists, and Yegor Sharangovich also found the net.
Siegenthaler tied the game at 4 with a long shot from outside the left circle, but Dach gave Chicago the lead for good with a backhand goal on a 2-on-1 with 5:56 remaining.
“It was a really nice move to hang onto it,” said Kane. He’s got such a long reach. He can really take it from one side of the net to the other and tuck it in like he did.”
After Ryan Carpenter and Bratt exchanged goals, Kane and Hagel secured their hat tricks with empty-netters in the final minutes. Hagel was taken down by Subban as he skated toward the empty net and fought the veteran defenseman after scoring.
“I have a clear-cut breakaway. Like, what are you going to do?” Hagel said. “It’s just a dirty play.”
Subban was not available for comment after the game.
Gillies made 29 saves for New Jersey, which had just come off an impressive 6-1 victory in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
“We made mistakes you just can’t make,” said Devils coach Lindy Ruff. “If you want to use the third period, we tie the game and give up the odd-numbered rushes. Back-to-back games where you know you’ve got some fatigue in your game, you’ve got to make them earn it, and we didn’t make them earn it.”
Due to injuries, the Blackhawks played without defensemen Jake McCabe and Calvin de Haan. McCabe was out with lower back soreness, and de Haan was sidelined by a right groin strain.
After the first period, Chicago trailed 2-1 but surged ahead with three power-play goals in the second. Before this, they had scored just two power-play goals in their previous five games.
Kane tied it at 2 with a glove-side shot on Gillies and was credited with his 15th of the season when his shot deflected off New Jersey defenseman Damon Severson at 11:24.
Hagel scored from the high slot at 14:09, making it 4-2 with his 16th goal after a pass from Kane. New Jersey cut the deficit when Bratt got free for a breakaway and scored through Lankinen’s legs with 2:17 left in the period. Bratt’s 17th goal was assisted by a long stretch pass from Severson.
Hagel also scored the game’s first goal following a New Jersey turnover, but Hughes and Sharangovich answered for the Devils. Hughes scored his 17th goal with a drive to the net, then assisted on Sharangovich’s goal with 1:05 left in the first.
HAT TRICKS
This was the first time two Blackhawks players scored at least three goals in a game since Eric Daze and Steve Sullivan did so during an 8-5 win over Boston on March 9, 2003.
CENTURY CLUB
Sharangovich and Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev both played in their 100th career NHL game.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.
- Blackhawks: Host the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
