NHL roundup: Bedard scores late in the third as Blackhawks edge Islanders 5-3

By The Associated Press on December 15, 2024.

CHICAGO (AP) – Connor Bedard scored with 54 seconds left and Arvid Soderblom made 30 saves, helping the Chicago Blackhawks beat the New York Islanders 5-3 on Sunday.

Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and two assists for Chicago in the opener of a three-game NHL homestand. Taylor Hall, Ilya Mikheyev and Connor Murphy also scored.

Bedard snapped a tie with his seventh goal of the season. His shot from the low slot trickled just past Ilya Sorokin, and it looked as if the goaltender might have knocked it in as he tried to scramble back to the puck.

The Blackhawks had dropped seven of eight, including a 4-1 loss at New Jersey on Saturday.

Simon Holmstrom, Ryan Pulock and Noah Dobson scored for the banged-up Islanders, who played without Bo Horvat because of a lower-body injury. Sorokin had 18 stops.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Sunday:

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MAPLE LEAFS 5 SABRES 3

TORONTO (AP) – John Tavares scored twice as part of a second-period outburst and added an empty netter for his 14th career hat trick as Toronto battled back from a 3-1 deficit to pick up a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

Max Domi and Nicholas Robertson added a goal and an assist each for Toronto (19-10-2).

Dennis Hildeby made 24 saves in his third career NHL start after being recalled from the American Hockey League with Anthony Stolarz out injured.

Jack Quinn, with two, and Alex Tuch replied for Buffalo (11-16-4). JJ Peterka had two assists.

Devon Levi stopped 36 shots for the Sabres, who fell to 0-7-3 over their last 10 games.

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HURRICANES 4 BLUE JACKETS 1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Dustin Tokarski made 27 saves in his first NHL appearance in nearly 22 months to help Carolina beat Columbus.

The 35-year-old Tokarski appeared in five games this season with Chicago in the American Hockey League before joining Carolina, his sixth NHL team.

Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist, Sebastian Aho, William Carrier and Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored and Jordan Staal had two assists. The Hurricanes won for the third time in eight games.

Dmitri Voronkov scored for Columbus, and Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves. The Blue Jackets have lost four straight.

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