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CHICAGO -- After blowing an early two-goal lead against the New York Islanders, the Chicago Blackhawks buckled down and rode a one-goal lead to victory. Michal Handzus scored the go-ahead goal 6:45 into the second period and the Chicago Blackhawks held on for a 3-2 win over the Islanders on Friday night. Chicagos Jonathan Toews and rookie Joakim Nordstrom connected in the first period, while Duncan Keith had two assists. Nordstroms goal was his first in the NHL. In its previous two games, defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago wasnt in buttoned-down form as it allowed Tampa Bay and St. Louis to score late in a shootout and a regulation loss. It looked like more of the same was brewing Friday. The Blackhawks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but New Yorks Josh Bailey scored at 19:06 of the first period and Kyle Okposo scored 49 seconds later to it at 2-all. "Against St. Louis and Tampa, there were a few points we left on the table," Toews said. "Tonight could have been one of those nights where we fall into that trend of squeezing the stick a little bit too hard late in the game only up one goal. "But we maintained our composure. We know what weve got to do to protect those leads and play smart late in games. Weve improved on that." After Handzus restored Chicagos lead in the second, the Blackhawks were poised and tidy, even if they couldnt add to their advantage. "We didnt get that extra goal tonight, which made it close all the way to the end, but I still thought we did some good things," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "But I liked what we gave up, and that wasnt much." Chicagos Nikolai Khabibulin made 17 saves and New Yorks Kevin Poulin finished with 25 as both goaltenders made their first starts this season. The 40-year-old Khabibulin rejoined the Blackhawks last summer as a free agent to back up Corey Crawford. Evgeni Nabokov had started the Islanders first three contests. Chicago had allowed five power-play goals in nine attempts entering the game, but killed both New York advantages on Friday. The Islanders lost for the first time in regulation, and coach Jack Capuano wasnt surprised based on his teams effort. "When you mismanage the puck against that team and you dont make them play a 200-foot game, youre never going to have success and thats exactly what happened," he said. "Our execution level was down and we had some passengers tonight." The Blackhawks dominated the first period and took a 2-0 lead before the goals by Bailey and Okposo in the final minute of the frame evened it. Set up by Niklas Hjalmarssons feed from behind the net, Nordstrom opened the scoring midway through the first period from just outside the crease to cap a Chicago flurry in the New York zone. Toews made it 2-0 with 3:55 left in the period when Brent Seabrooks shot from the right point bounced off the back boards and straight to Toews in the left circle. He fired into an open net before Poulin could recover. Bailey wristed in a shot with 54 seconds left in the first to cut it to 2-1 after he corralled Michael Grabners drop pass in the right circle. Okposo tied it at 2 with just 5 seconds remaining in the period on a backhand shot from a crowd in the slot. He was set up by John Tavares pinpoint pass from behind the net. New York, however, didnt capitalize on the momentum swing. "We got a couple of big goals there to get us back in the game and we werent able to sustain that into the second period," Tavares said. "Weve got to keep on generating opportunities." Handzus put Chicago back ahead when he was left uncovered in in the slot and popped in a rebound of Duncan Keiths shot from the point after the puck rolled off Poulin. Both teams had a handful of chances in the third, including a couple of close-in attempts by Tavares. NOTES: RW Cal Clutterbuck played his first game with the Islanders. He was acquired in an off-season trade from Minnesota, then sat out the first three games this season with a leg laceration. ... Khabibulin was Chicagos No. 1 goaltender for four seasons, from 2005-09. ... The 21-year-old Nordstrom played in his fourth NHL game. ... Both teams play again on Saturday night. The Blackhawks host Buffalo and the Islanders are at Nashville. Fake Tigers Jerseys . - Justin Turner is at his best with runners in scoring position, and he delivered again in a big spot for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tigers Jerseys China . The same for both the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. https://www.cheaptigers.com/ . -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are bringing back quarterback Chad Henne -- and making him the starter. Cheap Tigers Jerseys . -- The Guelph Storm are moving on to the Western Conference final after defeating the London Knights 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action. Detroit Tigers Store . The goals took Liverpools tally in the Premier League this season to 70, overtaking Manchester City as the top scorers, and left the fourth-place team just four points behind league leader Chelsea.PITTSBURGH -- The playoffs must be coming. The Los Angeles Kings are starting to look like the Los Angeles Kings. Drew Doughty broke a tie 3:51 into the third period with his ninth goal of the season, and the surging Kings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Thursday night for their franchise-record tying eighth straight road win. "To be hitting our stride at this point and beating some very good teams we had to play in the East right now, thats a confidence booster," Doughty said. Alec Martinez and Jeff Carter also scored for Los Angeles, and Martin Jones made 35 saves. The Kings, who have won five straight overall, tied the club road record set from Dec. 18, 1974-Jan. 16, 1975 by earning one-goal victories during a three-game swing through Philadelphia, Washington and Pittsburgh. "All three teams are in different places in their standings, so if you can get six points you take it," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. The Penguins rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie it on goals by Chris Kunitz and Taylor Pyatt. Jeff Zatkoff stopped 29 shots but couldnt get a handle on Doughtys booming slap shot early in the third. A potential tying goal by Penguins forward Brandon Sutter midway through the third was waved off due to goaltender interference following an extended scramble around the Kings net. Sutter eventually poked it by Jones while getting cross-checked from behind just before the net came off its moorings. After a brief conference, the call stood. While that galvanized the Penguins, it didnt exactly rattle the Kings. "I didnt have much of a view, but I just felt the puck under me," Jones said. "I just honestly saw the replay, but I felt like I got pushed in. Its the refs judgment there, so Im happy we got the call there." Los Angeles escaped by stifling Pittsburghs top-ranked power play. The Penguins went 0 for 7 with the man advantage as the unit continues to struggle without centre Evgeni Malkin, who is out for at least two weeks with a foot injury. Pittsburgh is 0-2 without Malkin and has dropped three straight overall. Though the Penguins remain in firm control of the Metropolitan Division, they failed to earn a point, postponing their eighth straight trip to the playoffs. "We did some good things," Pittsburgh centrre Sidney Crosby said.dddddddddddd "It just couldnt go in. Its disappointing when you have that many opportunities. Its not common when you get that many. You want to make sure you try to make them count. We didnt do that." The Kings have spent most of the season muddling in the middle of the loaded Western Conference but are peaking as the post-season nears. They pulled out a 5-4 shootout win in Washington on Tuesday, roaring back from two goals down in the third to earn the victory. There would be no heroics necessary this time. Despite the series of penalties, the Kings looked every bit the stingy bunch that won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and made it to the conference finals last year. "Our penalty kill was unbelievable," Jones said. "Everybody who was out there was awesome, blocking shots. Thats a pretty good power play to do it against, so we did a good job all night." The Penguins took the day off on Wednesday, cancelling practice after a lacklustre 3-2 loss to Phoenix the day before. Pittsburgh held a brief players-only meeting after the loss, which dropped the team to 6-6-2 since the break. It was hard to tell whether the rest helped early, as the Kings sprinted to a 2-0 lead. Carter deflected Marian Gaboriks slap shot past Zatkoff for his 26th goal of the season 15:23 into the game. The Kings made it 2-0 on a similar play 6:59 into the second as Tyler Toffoli was parked in front of Zatkoff and provided a perfect screen for Martinezs shot from the point. Pittsburgh responded 34 seconds later when Kunitz poked in a rebound for his 33rd goal. Pyatt added his fourth of the season to tie it. His knuckling wrist shot hit Jones in the blocker pad and flipped over the goalies shoulder and rolled into the net. No matter, Jones responded with a no-look blocker save on defenceman Matt Niskanen moments later that kept the game tied long enough for Doughty to win it. NOTES: Penguins C Marcel Goc left in the second period after injuring his left leg while getting checked into the boards behind the Los Angeles net and didnt return. ... The Kings are 33-8-4 when scoring first. ... Carter has 13 points in his last 17 games. ... The Penguins play at Columbus on Friday. ... The Kings begin a three-game homestand on Saturday against Winnipeg. ' ' '