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The Chicago Blackhawks took an early 2-0 lead against the Florida Panthers only to blow it late in the third period, but they still came away with a 3-2 overtime victory Thursday night thanks to Patrick Kane's lone goal during the two teams' shootout.
The Blackhawks got off to a strong start on the road, scoring once in the first period and again early in the second period, but they were unable to find the back of the net again from there. Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom tightened things up, and the Panthers were able to get by Chicago goalie Corey Crawford twice before the final bell rang. Florida's comeback had nearly run out of time, but defenseman Ed Jovanovski managed to score for the Panthers with just over two minutes left in the game.
The tides quickly turned in overtime, though, with the Blackhawks showing a definitive shot advantage. The Panthers were only able to muster two shots on goal against the Hawks in the overtime period, while Chicago tripled that total. The advantages were apparently foreshadowing of what came later, as Corey Crawford shut down Florida's attempts to score during the shootout while Patrick Kane took his opportunity to slap one past Markstrom to put the Blackhawks on top.
It's a key victory for the Blackhawks, a team that hasn't played nearly as well on the road as it has at home this season. This victory pushes them up to 3-2-0 on the road this season and 8-2-2 overall, a solid six-point advantage over Nashville.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Blackhawks be sure to visit Second City Hockey. For more on the Florida Panthers check out Litter Box Cats, and be sure to visit SB Nation NHL for more news and notes around the league.