Milestone goal for Hossa in Hawks’ win

After remaining somewhat quiet in the early games this season, the front line guys stepped up in a big way Tuesday (Oct. 18) night helping the Chicago BlackHawks to a 7-4 win at home against the Philadelphia Flyers.

In other action involving Midwest based NHL teams, the Minnesota Wild took advantage of a Los Angeles Kings team limping out of the game with a big 6-3 win and the St. Louis Blues saw a perfect start to the season with a tough 2-1 defeat in overtime at Vancouver against the host Canucks.

BlackHawks 7 Flyers 4

Last season the line of Artem Anisimov between Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin was among the scariest lines in the league for NHL goaltenders adn the trio combined for 11 points in this one.

The Hawks appeared ready to blast the visiting Flyers out of the arena, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and increasing it to 4-0 as Marian Hossa scored his 500th career marker early in the second frame. The Flyers began chipping away at the cushion with a goal late the middle frame, but fired three by Corey Crawford in he first four minutes of the final period to pull even with the Hawks.

Anisimov triggered the game winner for the Hawks just past the halfway mark of the period and also drained the clincher in the final minute, Panarin’s second of the night coming in between.

Kane scored the first goal of the night and Dennis Rasmussen had the other Hawks’ goal. Matt Read scored his second and third of the season for the Flyers with others for Sean Couturier and Wayne Simmonds.

Crawford stopped 23 of 27 to nail down the win in goal for the Hawks while Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth both took a turn between the pipes for the Flyers.

Kings 3 at Wild 6

The Kings came into the Twin Cities as one of only two teams without a point in the NHL yet this season (Columbus Blue Jackets are the other) and got no closer in this one, dropping a 6-3 decision to the now 2-1-0-0 Minnesota Wild.

The Kings started well, Tanner Pearson scoring the team’s first goal at the 50 second mark, but Erik Haula struck back for the Wild just 46 seconds later and the home team took the lead to stay in the final minute of the opening period with a goal by Jason Pominville.

Three unanswered second period goals by Charlie Coyle, Mikko Koivu and Teemu Pulkkinen had the Wild up 5-1 heading to the final 20 minutes.

Anze Kopitar pulled one back for the Kings and Pearson’s second with 5:25 to go raised the possibility of a comeback, but Jared Spurgeon scored his first on a feed from Ryan Suter with a little under three minutes to go to clinch this one for the Wild.

Darcy Kuemper made his first start of the season a win for the Wild as he turned aside 27 of 30 Kings’ shots. With Jonathan Quick sidelined indefinitely following an injury suffered on opening night, the Kings sent Jeff Zatkoff to the crease and he was later helped by Peter Budaj.

Blues 1 at Canucks 2 (ot)

The Blues were looking to build off its 3-0-0-0 start to the NHL season and got another solid performance from Jake Allen in goal as he engaged in a duel with Canucks’ keeper Jacob Markstrom.

The two kept the crease clean until Vladimir Tarasenko nailed his fourth of the season, from Alex Steen just past the halfway mark of the second period.

That goal stood up as enough until Bob Horvat got the Canucks on the board 2:55 from the final buzzer.

Henrik Sedin scored his first of the year to complete the Vancouver comeback 1:40 into the overtime session.

Allen, who saw a shutout and then a win disappear in the final minutes, made 24 stops on the night while Markstrom turned aside 23.

Wednesday Night Game

After a busy Tuesday night (Oct. 18), there are only two games on tap for the NHL tonight, just one involving the Midwest as the Detroit Red Wings will make the trip to Madison Square Gardens in New York to play the Rangers. After a win on home ice against Ottawa Monday, the Wings are looking to pick up its first road win and start a winning streak, while also getting back to .500 after a pair of losses in Florida to open the season.