DETROIT – Dylan Strome scored three goals and the Chicago Blackhawks had their highest-scoring game of the season in an 8-5 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.
Alex DeBrincat added two third-period goals for the Blackhawks, who led 4-0 in the first period but twice allowed Detroit to get within one goal. DeBrincat's empty-netter with 1:43 remaining finally put the game away as Chicago ended a four-game winless drought.
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Dominik Kubalik, Sam Lafferty and Brandon Hagel also scored for Chicago.
“It was a great night,” Blackhawks interim coach Derek King said. “But most games we’re not going to be up eight goals on a Colorado or a Minnesota. It would be nice, but we need to clean it up a bit when we do have a lead.”
Robby Fabbri, Tyler Bertuzzi, Pius Suter, Moritz Seiter and Dylan Larkin scored for Detroit. Larkin banked in a shot off a goalpost to cut Chicago's lead to 6-5 with 4:35 left in the game.
“We got it to 4-3, but you can't spot teams four, first of all," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “We made terrible decisions with the puck and we're not winning that way here. Ultimately, we gave them a whole bunch of chances."
Chicago is one of seven NHL teams to score eight times in a game this season. The Florida Panthers have the most goals in a game this season with nine, doing it twice.
Strome scored twice in the first period and completed the hat trick in the third with his second power-play goal of the game, putting the Blackhawks ahead 5-3. He had four goals this season coming into the game.
King recently put Strome on Chicago's first line with Hagel and Patrick Kane.
“Hages and Kaner have helped him a lot,” King said. “He feels confident when he's out there, and hopefully he can build on that.”
Fabbri, Bertuzzi and Suter scored in the second period to get the Red Wings within one. DeBrincat's first goal put Chicago ahead 6-3 in the third, but Seider scored on the power play before Larkin added his 20th of the season. Hagel restored the Blackhawks' two-goal advantage with his 11th.
“I thought we had too many guys who weren't even close to their ‘A’ games,” Blashill said. “When you do that, you're going to have tough nights.”
Chicago outshot Detroit 38-33.
NOTES: Lafferty's goal was his first of the season. ... Detroit goalie Alex Nedeljkovic allowed four goals in the first period. He was replaced by Calvin Pickard to start the second.
UP NEXT
Chicago: Hosts Colorado on Friday.
Detroit: At Pittsburgh on Friday.
More: Sports