Chicago, IL (Sportsbooks) - Evgeni Malkin scored on the power play 1:36 into overtime, overshadowing the first career hat trick for Chicago's Jonathan Toews, as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Blackhawks, 5-4, at the United Center.
Chris Kunitz registered a goal and an assist in his Pittsburgh debut. Kunitz and prospect Eric Tangradi were acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday in exchange for defenseman Ryan Whitney.
Jordan Staal, Miroslav Satan and Maxime Talbot also scored for the Penguins, who are 4-1-1 in six games since Dan Bylsma was named interim head coach. Marc-Andre Fleury made 41 saves to pick up the win.
The Penguins played their second straight game without captain Sidney Crosby, who is hampered by a groin injury that was initially sustained in Sunday's loss to the Washington Capitals. After sitting out Thursday's practice, Crosby tested the groin during Friday's morning skate, but ruled himself out.
Dave Bolland also found the net and Cam Barker collected a career-high three assists for Chicago, which has lost three in a row.
"In a way, we are happy with the point," said Toews. "We were down by two goals and came back, but we were up against a hungrier team."
Cristobal Huet was yanked in favor of Antti Niemi after surrendering four goals on 22 shots through the first 40 minutes. Niemi stopped five of the six shots he faced to take the loss in his NHL debut.
The Blackhawks rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period.
Toews got things started, completing the trifecta at 1:55. Satan was whistled for tripping 31 seconds into the stanza and Chicago went to work on the power play. Barker faked a slap shot from up high before sending a hard, diagonal pass to the bottom of the right circle for Toews, who lifted it over a diving Fleury to make it 4-3.
Bolland tied the game with 4:45 remaining in regulation on the backhand, but a tripping penalty on Kris Versteeg in the final minute gave Pittsburgh a power play that carried over to the extra session, where Malkin's laser from the right faceoff dot sailed over Niemi's glove for the deciding goal.
"It was a big goal in a big game for us," said Malkin.
Pittsburgh built a two-goal lead before the contest was nine minutes old.
Huet mishandled Sergei Gonchar's shot from the top of the right circle, allowing Staal to roof the juicy rebound at 3:36.
Kunitz then netted his first goal in a Penguins uniform at 8:44, collecting the puck off the end boards and using the backhand to slip it behind Huet.
Chicago, though, erased the deficit with the man advantage. Toews put the home squad on the board, redirecting Barker's drive from the point with 4:16 to play in the opening frame.
The Blackhawks captain struck again at the 6:36 mark of the second period. Toews partially fanned on his intended goalmouth pass, but the puck still managed to sneak past Fleury.
Toews was momentarily denied his first three-goal game with 4:51 left in the middle stanza. While on the power play, the sophomore forward skated through the slot and tipped another blast off the stick of Barker. However, the tally was waved off after a video review determined that Toews touched the puck with a high stick.
"I wasn't sure where I hit it, but when I got back to the bench and saw the replay, I thought it was a good goal," Toews said.
The no-goal seemed to awake the Penguins, who tallied twice in a 37-second span late in the frame to go up 4-2.
Satan buried the rebound of a Ruslan Fedotenko shot with 1:36 remaining, then Talbot's shot from the left side of the net ricocheted off the skate of a Chicago defenseman and slid between the pads of Huet.
Game Notes
Toews leads the Blackhawks in goals with 25, one more than the total he scored during his rookie campaign...Pittsburgh began a five-game road trip...Malkin is pacing the league with 61 assists and 89 points...Chicago finished 3-for-7 on the power play, while the Pens were 1-for-4.
