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Chicago • Jonathan Toews and rookie Brandon Pirri scored in a four-round shootout, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Phoenix Coyotes 5-4 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.
Radim Vrbata had the lone shootout goal for Phoenix, 7-1-1 in its last nine games.
Pirri tied the score 4-all 3 minutes into the third, and 4 seconds after a Chicago power play had elapsed. He connected on a midair deflection of Brent Seabrook's drive from the top of the circle.
Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa also scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, who extended their point streak to eight games (7-0-1). Chicago fired a season-high 52 shots through overtime at Coyotes goalie Mike Smith.
Bruins 3, Blue Jackets 2, OT • In Boston, Milan Lucic saved the Boston Bruins from a lackluster defensive night, blocking a shot in the final minute of overtime and turning it into the game-winning goal.
Lucic stepped in front of a shot by Cam Atkinson just inside the blue line and the puck took a big bounce toward the Columbus end with nobody between Lucic and Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobvrosky. Lucic corralled the puck and poked a shot between Bobvrosky's pads.
"It's my first overtime goal that I ever scored and it ends up being a big one," said Lucic, who leads the Bruins with eight goals.
Loui Eriksson and Shawn Thornton also scored the Bruins.
Boston goalie Chad Johnson stopped 32 shots, making his third start this season with No. 1 netminder Tuukka Rask getting a night off.
Columbus was coming off a 4-3 overtime loss in Washington on Tuesday and has won just once in the last eight games.
Boston's two goals in regulation both came on unintentional deflections and another fortunate bounce allowed the Bruins to extend their winning streak to four straight.
Atkinson's shot bounced hard off Lucic and headed straight in the opposite direction. Even Lucic called it a "lucky bounce" as the Bruins won despite getting outshot 12-7 in the third period and 2-1 in overtime.