Penguins have 4-goal 2nd period to rout Blackhawks 6-2 for 5th straight win

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Egor Chinakhov and Anthony Mantha scored on rushes in a 31-second span in Pittsburgh's four-goal second period, helping the Penguins beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.

Connor Dewar scored twice, Ben Kindel and Ryan Shea added goals, and Arturs Silovs made 17 saves. Mantha, Shea and Noel Acciari each had two assists.

The Penguins had been off since sweeping a four-game trip with a victory over Vancouver on Sunday, with forward Bryan Rust starting a three-game suspension for a check to Canucks forward Brock Boeser’s head.

Connor Murphy and Connor Bedard scored for Chicago, and Soderblom stopped 38 shots in the first game of a back-to-back. The Blackhawks have lost four straight, falling 4-3 in a shootout in Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Kindel gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead at 5:54 of the second period. He came down the left side and beat Soderblom to the far side with a wrister.

Chinakhov slipped a shots between Arvid Soderblom’s leg pads with 4:30 left in the period, and Mantha also beat Soderblom through the legs with 3:59 to go. Shea capped the spree with 30 seconds left in the period, and Dewar added his second of the night with 6:01 left in the third.

Bedard fired a wrist shot past Silovs with 5:21 to go for his 21st of the season.

Murphy opened the scoring for Chicago at 9:32 of the first. Dewar tied it 1:52 later.

Penguins forward Rutger McGroarty was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League for his NHL game since sustaining a concussion in practice Jan. 6. He had five shots, three hits and a block in 10:36.

Blackhawks: Host Columbus on Friday night.

Penguins: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) celebrates with Frank Nazar and Matt Grzelcyk after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea celebrates his goal with Ilya Solovyov during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Connor Dewar, left, celebrates after his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin (71) controls the puck with Chicago Blackhawks' Oliver Moore, right, defending during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea (5) celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox were reeling at this time last year, coming off a season in which they set a modern major league record for losses.

General manager Chris Getz and manager Will Venable see a team that's in a much better place today. With spring training approaching, they believe they have a group poised to build on the progress it showed last season.

“I think we're going to make a meaningful step forward,” Getz said.

Venable also feels momentum building around the franchise.

“It’s significant,” Venable said. “And the way that we feel about it and the way that people talk about it, it’s real and it’s something that I think we’re excited about.”

Getz and Venable spoke Thursday ahead of this weekend's fan festival. They were at a Boys & Girls Club a few blocks from Rate Field where the White Sox donated $125,000 for a visual and performing arts space. They'll soon be in Glendale, Arizona, for the start of spring training, with pitchers and catchers holding their first workout on Feb. 10.

The White Sox have three straight 100-loss seasons since finishing 81-81 in 2022. They went 60-102 and finished last in the AL Central in Venable's first season. But that was a 19-game improvement from 2024, when they were 41-121 and shattered the franchise record for losses.

With a promising group of young players that includes shortstop Colson Montgomery, catcher Kyle Teel and infielder Chase Meidroth, they think they are ready to take another step forward.

“They’ve kind of gone through it now, and that added experience is only going to give us a bit of a head start going into the season, get a little bit more confidence, and then, of course, we’re going to welcome some new players in the organization come spring training on the field there,” Getz said. “What we can provide is opportunity and a runway, and some of these players that we’ve acquired just haven’t gotten that runway in other places for various reasons, and we’re gonna take advantage of that.”

Venable said the White Sox need to “embrace” higher expectations.

“Every single manager in the big leagues is looking for their club to get to that level, and that certainly makes my job easier if they already believe," he said. "My job is to say, ‘This is what we have to do to get there.’”

The White Sox made a series of moves in the offseason that they hope will help them get to another level, most notably signing Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami in December and trading center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets last week. They got speedy infielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley in that deal.

Chicago used some of the payroll flexibility it gained in the Robert trade to sign right-hander Seranthony Domínguez to a $20-million, two-year contract. That deal was finalized Thursday.

Domínguez, 31, debuted with Philadelphia in 2018. He has 40 saves and a 3.50 ERA in 322 games with the Phillies, Baltimore and Toronto. He figures to close for the White Sox.

Domínguez played for the Orioles and Blue Jays last year, going 4-4 with a 3.16 ERA and two saves in 67 games. He was traded to Toronto on July 29.

Domínguez has pitched in the playoffs the past four years. He appeared in 12 postseason games for Toronto, helping the Blue Jays win the AL pennant before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. He also pitched in the World Series for Philadelphia in 2022, when the Phillies lost to Houston.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

FILE - Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz talks with reporters before a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, April 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

FILE - Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable stands before a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sept. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)