Chicago Blackhawks score 3 goals in 34 seconds, then beat the Washington Capitals 5-4 on Caleb Jones’ overtime goal

The Chicago Blackhawks scored three goals in a dizzying 34 seconds, but they needed an overtime goal by Caleb Jones to beat the Washington Capitals 5-4 on Wednesday at the United Center.

The defenseman’s first goal as a Hawk came off Kirby Dach’s rebound.

“You kind of have this feeling: ‘You better not miss this,’” Jones said. “I just kind of took a whack at it and saw it go in. It was nice.”

It could’ve been a disaster for the Hawks. The Capitals forced overtime when Conor Sheary scored with 3 seconds left in regulation.

The offensive spurt made up for some lax play at times, and Marc-André Fleury made some big saves to make up for a couple of soft goals.

“I didn’t think our start was terrible,” coach Derek King said, “but I didn’t think it was where it should’ve been and (Fleury) kept us alive.”

The Hawks are 10-6-0 under King, including 6-0 in overtime and shootout games.

“Guys are believing in themselves,” King said. “They believe, even if we get into overtime against a good hockey team, we can win.”

The scoring flurry matched the third-quickest three-goal burst in Hawks history. They did it in 21 seconds in 1952 against the New York Rangers, in 30 seconds in 1983 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and in 34 seconds in 2017 versus the Colorado Avalanche.

Alex DeBrincat kicked it off, answering Alex Ovechkin’s power-play goal early in the second period with one of his own with 6 minutes, 5 seconds left in the period.

Philipp Kurashev backhanded another power-play goal 18 seconds later, and MacKenzie Entwistle capped the scoring frenzy 16 seconds after that with a five-on-five goal.

The Capitals answered with goals late in the second period and early in the third, but DeBrincat put the Hawks back in front with his second power-play goal of the night — a doorstep one-timer off Brandon Hagel’s assist.

Sheary’s tying goal was upheld after a review.

In overtime, Dach fired a shot at Ilya Samsonov that dribbled around the crease, and Jones knocked in the game-winner.

Fleury had 42 saves on a night he was honored for his 500th win, which came on the road Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.

Brett Connolly made his season debut for the Hawks, and Entwistle returned to the ice after missing 14 games with a high ankle sprain.

Before the game, the Hawks were preparing for the return of Capitals forward T.J. Oshie as well as the Caps power play, which had struggled mightily on the road (8.8%) but ranked 10th at home (22.2%)

“We played really well and kept them off the power play last game,” Hagel said of a 4-3 shootout win Dec. 2 in Washington. “That’s obviously a huge thing for us tonight too. Everyone knows about their power play.”

Sure enough, the Capitals showed how potent it can be on their first opportunity after Jonathan Toews’ hooking penalty against Trevor van Riemsdyk.

The Hawks left Ovechkin wide open for a backdoor blast. Oshie, playing his fifth game since returning from injured reserve, and Nicklas Bäckström assisted.

Meanwhile, the Hawks have been sorting out their own issues with their 24th-ranked power play (entering the game), trying out Connolly on the first unit. They got plenty of work, going 3-for-6.

The No. 1 group had a prime look its first time out, but DeBrincat fanned on a backdoor one-timer.

On the Hawks’ second power play, Seth Jones turned the puck over in the offensive zone, and the Caps’ Lars Eller was off to the races on a shorthanded breakaway with Jones and DeBrincat in pursuit. Fleury turned away Ellers’ shot.

The Capitals did the Hawks a big favor, committing a fourth penalty (for tripping) while on the kill for their third.

The Hawks took advantage of the five-on-three, with Patrick Kane sliding a pass in front of Samsonov for DeBrincat’s one-timer. Then Kurashev backhanded in Dach’s rebound while the Hawks had power-play time left.

Fleury faced a number of shots up the middle but held his own during a scoreless first period. The Capitals outshot the Hawks 13-6 in the first despite having to kill two penalties.

During the pregame ceremony to honor Fleury’s 500th win, the Hawks played video tributes from Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, his only peers in the 500 club.

Fleury, nicknamed “Flower,” greeted his wife and three children beside a large 500 decorated with flowers, and backup goalie Kevin Lankinen presented him with a silver mask.

Fleury said the win was very important to him, “but to have my family on the ice with me, have them see what it’s like to be on the ice and to feel the cheers and the chants from the crowd, saying your name, means a lot to me and hopefully it does to them too.”