Blackhawks finish trip with 3-0 win over Predators
NHL.com

• Tickets
VIDEO
NEWS

Make it 12 games without a regulation loss for the Chicago Blackhawks.

And now they play their next seven games at home.

Corey Crawford stopped 17 shots to notch his sixth career shutout –- his first in almost two years -- as the Blackhawks earned a 3-0 victory against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday night.

Marcus Kruger and Jonathan Toews each scored 66 seconds apart in the second period, helping the Blackhawks remain the National Hockey League's lone undefeated team in regulation (10-0-2).

"It feels great," Crawford said of his club's phenomenal start. "It seems like everyone gets along. We have some great veterans that lead the way and it seems like the new guys have just followed in nicely. It's just a great bunch of guys and we're playing great hockey right now."

Patrick Kane also added a goal in the third as the Blackhawks wrapped up their season-high six-game road trip with their fourth straight win and improved to 8-0-2 away from the United Center.

The shutout was Chicago's first in regulation since Mar. 23, 2011 against the Florida Panthers.

"We don't want to change anything," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said about finally returning home for Tuesday's match against the Anaheim Ducks. "We don't want to feel like we're at home now, we can let the air out or we want to be cute. We want to play the same way. We like the contributions across the board and let's get excited with the building and the noise and our fans. I'm sure they want to see some hockey, too, so it'll be nice to be there."

Nashville missed its best chance at scoring when Nick Spaling's backhander sent the puck sliding across the crease before hitting off the far post at 10:02 of the first period. The Predators managed only three shots on goal in the first.

"We didn't really challenge them very well," Nashville forward Mike Fisher said. "It wasn't our A-game, no question. They run and gun a little bit more and they bury them when they can like they did tonight."

Preds goalie Pekka Rinne had won four straight starts and hadn't allowed an even-strength goal since Jan. 28. But that streak ended at 316 minutes, 40 seconds when Nashville defenseman Roman Josi kicked the puck, trying to clear it, right to Kruger near the high slot. Kruger snapped a shot over Rinne's stick for his second goal of the season at 6:14.

"I mean just put a tent over that circus," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "You make five, six mistakes like that, it's going to end up in your net. It wasn't a classic goal or anything."

Chicago also got a bit of luck as Duncan Keith's shot from the right circle deflected off Toews in front of Rinne and went up and over the Nashville goalie into the net at 7:20 for a 2-0 lead. It was Toews' sixth goal of the season and the 150th of his career.

The Blackhawks wound up with 27 shots, including Kane's ninth goal this season. He scored at 4:27 of the third after skating up the left boards and shooting at the net, sneaking the puck past Rinne for the 3-0 lead.

Kane extended his point streak to six games and his goal-scoring streak to five. He leads the club with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 12 games this season.

"I was really pleased with the way we started and finished the game," Quenneville said. "Everybody contributed again today."

Material from wire services and team media was used in this report


Three star selections
1st:   MARCUS KRUGER
2nd:   PATRICK KANE
3rd:   COREY CRAWFORD
Winning Goaltender
Corey Crawford

Losing Goaltender
Pekka Rinne

SCHEDULE

HOME
AWAY
PROMOTIONAL

STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39

STATS

2012-2013 REGULAR SEASON
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
S. Weber 48 9 19 -2 28
D. Legwand 48 12 13 -6 25
M. Fisher 38 10 11 6 21
C. Wilson 25 7 12 1 19
R. Josi 48 5 13 -7 18
G. Bourque 34 11 5 6 16
S. Kostitsyn 46 3 12 -5 15
P. Hornqvist 24 4 10 -1 14
K. Klein 47 3 11 -1 14
N. Spaling 47 9 4 -10 13
 
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
P. Rinne 15 16 8 .910 2.43
C. Mason 1 7 1 .873 3.73

 


nashvillepredators.com is the official Web site of the Nashville Predators and nashvillepredators.com are trademarks of the Nashville Predators.  NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2013 Nashville Predators and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

NHL Ticket Exchange | Bridgestone Arena | Contact Us | Employment | NHL.com Terms of Use | Site Map | AdChoices