Blackhawks 5, Rangers 3
NEW YORK -- Left winger Artemi Panarin's second goal of game broke a 3-3 tie with three minutes remaining, then he added an empty-net goal for his first career hat trick as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the New York Rangers 5-3 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
Right winger Patrick Kane set up the power-play goal by Panarin with a pass from behind the goal line after he nearly had a breakway seconds earlier.
Then Panarin scored his 22nd of the season into an empty net with 1:11 to play.
Left wingers Andrew Shaw and Andrew Desjardins also scored for the Blackhawks, who got 30 saves from goaltender Corey Crawford.
Defenseman Dan Boyle along with centers Derick Brassard and Kevin Hayes scored for the Rangers. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped 15 shots.
Desjardins gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 3:30 of the first period. Right winger Teuvo Teravainen hit a cutting Desjardins near the left post with a pass that evaded Boyle and hit the blade of Desjardins' stick for the artful goal.
Panarin's rookie-leading 20th goal of the season put the Blackhawks ahead 2-0 at 10:05 of the second period. Center Artem Anisimov provided a screen as Panarin's wrist shot from above the left circle beat Lundqvist to the stick side for a power-play goal.
Hayes cut the lead in half with 6:15 remaining in the period with his 10th goal of the season. Right winger Viktor Stalberg freed the puck with a hit in the corner, allowing left winger Oscar Lindberg to thread the needle with a pass through the legs of Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival and to the stick of Hayes to make it 2-1.
Twenty-four seconds into the third period, Brassard tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play goal. He took a pass from defenseman Keith Yandle and wristed a shot from the right circle that whizzed past the catching glove of Crawford for his 20th goal of the season.
The Rangers made it 3-2 during the second half of Vincent Hinostroza's double-minor for high sticking when Boyle slammed home a pass from Hayes at 2:17. Crawford made the initial save on the doorstep, but Boyle finished the second opportunity from the crease for his first goal since Dec. 30.
Shaw made it 3-3 with a power-play goal at 9:53. He was left alone at the side of the net by left winger Daniel Paille, which made it easy for Teravainen to feed him for his 11th of the season.
NOTES: Blackhawks RW Marian Hossa (lower body) is expected to miss a couple weeks. ... Blackhawks D Erik Gustafsson took the spot of D Viktor Svedberg after missing the past two games. ... Rangers D Ryan McDonagh returned after missing four games with a concussion. ... Rangers LW Rick Nash missed his 10th consecutive game with a bone bruise in his leg. ... Rangers D Marc Staal was absent from the lineup and did not take part in warmups. He and his wife are expecting their second child Wednesday.