ANAHEIM, Calif. — There’s something in the Honda Center ice that gives Jarred Tinordi an extra spark.
For the second year in a row, Tinordi took a shot from the left point just inside the left-side blue line in Anaheim, had it deflect flukily off a Ducks defender and past Ducks goalie Anthony Stolarz.
When it happened in January, it gave the Rangers a third-period lead they never relinquished. And when it happened Saturday, it gave the Blackhawks a lead with 2:42 left that they preserved for a 3-2 win.
“Maybe it’s the building that’s got me some good vibes out there,” Tinordi joked.
The journeyman defenseman doubled his previous NHL career goal total with two strikes Saturday, and the first one was actually far more impressive than the second. Uncharacteristically racing behind the Ducks’ defense, Tinordi received a well-placed Max Domi pass and deked around Stolarz to give the Hawks life in the first period.
That goal completely turned the momentum of the game, which had started out completely slanted in the Ducks’ favor. The hosts had raced out to a 2-0 lead with a 15-1 shots advantage as the Hawks looked inexcusably slow and weak from the opening faceoff.
“[Tinordi] had a great game for us,” coach Luke Richardson said. “He was the only one that was really into the game, other than our goaltender, early on. We got our feet under us [when] that goal kinda got us some momentum.”
The Hawks’ pair of Swedes, goaltender Arvid Soderblom and defenseman Filip Roos, both also delivered strong performances to help the Hawks’ contingent of dads witness a win — the Hawks’ first in regulation since Oct. 25.
Roos scored his first career goal to tie the game in the second period. Soderblom continued his fantastic autumn by stopping 39 of 41 shots, including a massive save on a 3-on-1 rush shortly before Tinordi’s go-ahead goal.
“You never want to start the game down 2-0,” Tinordi said. “If you can get one after that, it gets you feeling good, gets you moving in the right direction… We really picked our game up heading into the third period, and that’s what we really needed.”
