Watch: Blackhawks’ Richard Panik Scores Potential ‘Goal Of The Year’ Candidate In 4-1 Win Over Penguins

Richard Panik scored one of the best goals of the season for the Chicago Blackhawks in Wednesday night’s 4-1 home victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Watch: Blachawks’ Richard Panik Scores Spectacular Goal vs Penguins

With 24 seconds remaining in the second period, Panik stole the puck from Patric Hornqvist along the wall and noticed Pittsburgh defenseman Egeni Malkin closing in on him, and the winger deftly played the puck off his own skate to beat Malkin. After passing the Penguins defenseman, Panik took a second to aim, then fired a wrist-shot top shelf past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead.

Here is the spectacular goal:

Patrick Kane also scored three goals for Chicago to record his second hat trick in three games. Scott Darling made 36 saves for the Blackhawks (40-18-5), who have now won five straight games and are 10-1-0 in their past 11.

Kane scored his first goal midway through the second period, then added two more late in the third, including an empty-netter with 41 seconds remaining.

“I guess sometimes players get a little streaky,” said Kane, who has seven goals in the past three games, 12 in the past 11. “I don’t think I played my best game tonight, but at the same time, you get opportunities and chances, and you find ways to score goals.”

Rookie Nick Schmaltz had the main assist on Kane’s first two goals. He took the puck from Pittsburgh forward Jake Guentzel on the back-check and then passed ahead to Kane to set up the first one, then sent Kane a nice pass from the slot on the rush for the second.

Schmaltz replaced Artem Anisimov at center after Anisimov exited the game with a lower-body injury early in the second period.

“The last four games he really elevated his game to a different level,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said of Schmaltz. “[He was] a big factor again tonight. Great to see him play like that.”

Scott Wilson scored Pittsburgh’s lone goal with 3:00 left in the second. The Penguins (38-16-8) were coming off a 3-2 loss at the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Marc-Andre Fleury made 25 saves.

Fleury made three quick saves to stop Chicago from taking a 2-0 lead in the second. He deflected a wrist shot by Ryan Hartman at 14:42, dove along the goal line to stop Brent Seabrook’s rebound attempt, and then made a glove save at the right post to deny Panik.

The Penguins next host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, when the Blackhawks host the New York Islanders.

CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 06: Richard Panik #14 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck against the Arizonia Coyotes at the United Center on December 6, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Coyotes 4-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena