CHICAGO — A night after a convincing win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh, the Devils were looking for their second straight victory.
But Kirby Dach and Patrick Kane had other ideas, as Dach snapped a tie in the third period and Kane had three goals and an assist, helping the struggling Chicago Blackhawks beat the New Jersey Devils 8-5 on Friday night.
Brandon Hagel also scored three times for Chicago, which had dropped three in a row and seven of nine overall. Alex DeBrincat and Seth Jones each had three assists, and Kevin Lankinen made 31 saves in his return from a right hand injury that had kept him out since Jan. 22.
Jesper Bratt scored twice for New Jersey for the second straight game. Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler each had a goal and two assists, and Yegor Sharangovich also scored.
“We made mistakes you just can’t make,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “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.”
P.K. Subban and Brandon Hagel mix it up after Subban took Hagel down as the Blackhawk had a clear path to the empty net. Hagel scored on the play, completing his hat trick. Getty ImagesSiegenthaler tied it at 4-4 with a long shot from the boards outside the left circle, but Dach put Chicago ahead to stay when he kept the puck on a 2-on-1 and beat Jon Gillies with a backhand with 5:56 left.
After Ryan Carpenter and Bratt exchanged goals, Kane and Hagel completed their hat tricks with empty-netters in the final minutes.
Hagel was taken down by Subban as he skated toward the empty net, and he fought with the veteran defenseman after he scored.
“I have a clear-cut breakaway. Like, what are you going to do?” Hagel said. “It’s just a dirty play.”
Kirby Dach scores a third-period goal on Devils goalie Jon Gillies on Friday night in Chicago. USA TODAY SportsSubban was not made available to the media after the game.
Gillies made 29 saves for the Devils.
The Blackhawks played without defensemen Jake McCabe and Calvin de Haan because of injuries. McCabe was scratched with lower back soreness, and de Haan was sidelined by a right groin strain.
Chicago trailed 2-1 after one, but it moved in front with three power-play goals in the second. It scored a total of two power-play goals in its previous five games.
Kane tied it at 2-2 when he beat Gillies on the goaltender’s glove side, and then was credited with his 15th of the season when his shot was deflected in by New Jersey defenseman Damon Severson at 11:24.
Hagel got a pass from Kane and scored from the high slot at 14:09, making it 4-2 with his 16th goal.
The Devils got one back when Bratt got loose for a breakaway and beat Lankinen through the goaltender’s legs with 2:17 left. Bratt’s 17th goal on the year was set up by a long stretch pass by Severson.
Hagel also turned a Devils turnover into the first goal of the game, but Hughes and Sharangovich responded for the Devils. Hughes converted a drive to the net for his 17th on the season, and then picked up his 20th assist when Sharangovich scored with 1:05 left in the first.






