Theodore helps Golden Knights beat Blackhawks 4-3

CHICAGO (AP) Shea Theodore drove to the net, and Carl Dahlstrom took care of the rest.

Vegas made its own luck in Chicago.

Theodore scored 1:19 into overtime when Dahlstrom slid the puck into his own goal, lifting the Golden Knights to a 4-3 victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday night.

''We just found a way,'' coach Gerard Gallant said.

Theodore was driving when Dahlstrom knocked it away - and through the legs of goaltender Collin Delia. It was Theodore's first goal since he scored twice in an 8-3 victory at Chicago on Nov. 27.

''I hadn't scored for a while, so it's good to get a bounce like that,'' Theodore said.

Alex Tuch, Ryan Carpenter and Paul Stastny also scored for Vegas, which won for the eighth time in nine games. Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves.

Tuch extended his points streak to a franchise-record nine games in the Golden Knights' second season.

Alex DeBrincat scored twice for Chicago, which lost for the fifth time in six games. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist, and Delia made 29 stops.

The Blackhawks led 2-0 after one and 3-1 late in the second.

''We got a little passive and let them come at us,'' coach Jeremy Colliton said. ''They raised the tempo a bit there because they were pushing for a goal. That's what you have to expect. We were on our heels.''

Each team had a goal waved off. Vegas successfully challenged for offside in the first, and an NHL-initiated review took a tying goal away from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the third for kicking the puck in - a decision the Golden Knights felt was unfair.

Vegas then tied it at 3 when Stastny knocked home a rebound with 4:04 left in regulation. Max Pacioretty sent one off the right post before Stastny got his sixth of the season.

''I was just trying to throw if back on net,'' Stastny said. ''I thought (Pacioretty) would put that in, but I have to pick up his trash.''

Looking to salvage the finale of a three-game homestand, Chicago got off to a fast start behind DeBrincat and Kane.

DeBrincat skated across the middle, got a feed from Dominik Kahun and slid a backhand past Fleury 4:36 into the first. It was DeBrincat's 11th goal in his last 16 games and No. 50 for his career in just his second NHL season.

Kane then made it 2-0 with a power-play goal with 4:40 left in the period. The All-Star forward has 12 goals and 18 assists in his last 19 games.

''The way we were playing the first two periods, that was fun hockey,'' Kane said. ''That's the way we need to play.''

After Tuch got his 15th of the season on a rebound 1:34 into the second, Kane and DeBrincat combined for Chicago's second power-play goal of the night. With Jon Merrill serving the second part of a double-minor for high-sticking, DeBrincat skated into the left circle and drove Kane's pass by Fleury at 7:22.

Chicago had a 3-1 lead in the final minute of the period when Carpenter deftly used Dahlstrom as a screen while sending a hard wrist shot by Delia on the glove side. It was Carpenter's fourth of the season.

NOTES: Tuch has three goals and eight assists during his points streak. ... Vegas has won each of its six games against Chicago in its first two seasons. ... Blackhawks D Slater Koekkoek skated with his new team on Saturday morning, but was scratched against the Golden Knights. Koekkoek was acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay on Friday. ... Blackhawks F David Kampf celebrated his 24th birthday. ... Blackhawks D Erik Gustafsson has no goals and 11 assists during an eight-game point streak.

UP NEXT

Golden Knights: At Winnipeg on Tuesday night.

Blackhawks: At New Jersey on Monday night.

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Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap

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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

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