The puck arrived on Dylan Strome’s stick in such a way that he had to turn from the play, seeming to end any hope of finding an open teammate.

Instead, Strome kept his body rotating and sent a backhand pass across the slot that found Alex DeBrincat for a one-timer and a vital goal in the Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime win over the Canucks on Thursday.

Eyes in the back of his head? Nah.

“It’s chemistry,” Strome explained. “He’s usually over there.”

Despite each being only 21, Strome and DeBrincat already have a long history together. They were teammates for three years with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, where they established themselves as major NHL prospects.

Strome was drafted by the Coyotes, DeBrincat by the Hawks, and their careers diverged until November, when the Hawks acquired Strome in the trade that sent Nick Schmaltz to the Coyotes.

The duo have played 31 games together since the deal, but despite playing on a line together in most of those games, one had the primary assist on the other’s goals only twice each before Thursday.

That changed against the Canucks with Strome’s no-look assist as well as another primary assist on DeBrincat’s first goal of the game.

“We’ve had a couple of close ones where we didn’t really click on it but it felt good,” Strome said. “We felt good before the game, and for whatever reason it just worked out today.”

Aside from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, nobody has been more important to the Hawks’ season-altering six-game winning streak than Strome and DeBrincat. Each has 11 points in the six victories, one behind Toews and three behind Kane.

Strome has kept a positive attitude even when he was part of 13 consecutive losses this season. The Coyotes were on a five-game losing streak immediately before he was traded, and upon his arrival in Chicago, the Hawks immediately began an eight-game losing streak.

It has been a trying season, but the tide is turning.

“I’m having fun again playing hockey,” Strome said. “The whole team is now. Six in a row and we’re feeling good, we’re confident.”

jgreenfield@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jcgreenx