Hawks Keep Finding A Way
CHICAGO (AP) - Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane scored in the first three rounds of a shootout to give Chicago a 2-1 victory over Vancouver on Wednesday night, extending the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks' winning streak to four games.
Kane scored on a backhander in the third round, sending the puck between Patrick Luongo's legs.
Vancouver's Mikael Samuelsson then sent a backhand attempt wide.
Samuelsson was the only shooter to miss. Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler converted for Vancouver in the first two rounds. Sedin and Chicago's Viktor Stalberg scored in regulation.
Sedin tied a minute into the third period. Skating in from the left side, he fired a shot past the sprawled Marty Turco after the goalie stopped defenseman Christian Ehrhoff from the right crease.
Stalberg scored with 37.7 seconds left in the first period, wristing a shot over Luongo's left shoulder from 15 feet in the right slot after taking a feed from Jake Dowell.
Vancouver (2-3-2) outshot Chicago 37-32, including an 8-2 margin in overtime.
Chicago, which won only one of its first four games, improved to 5-2-1.
In the third period, Luongo made difficult saves on Marian Hossa at 1:34 and Kane's one-timer midway through the period. Luongo made another big save on Hossa's breakaway midway through overtime. A minute later, Turco countered with a glove save on Kesler and stopped Manny Malhotra from the crease with 19 seconds left.
Turco's best stops in regulation were on Kesler and Mason Raymond, the latter on a rebound 6 minutes into the game. The Blackhawks' defense generally limited the Canucks to deep-angle chances after that, with Sedin's goal and Kesler's overtime chance the glaring exceptions.
NOTES: Vancouver center Rick Rypien served the first game of an indefinite suspension for grabbing a fan Tuesday night in the Canucks' loss in Minnesota. His hearing with the NHL is Friday. ... Canucks defenseman Keith Ballard (concussion) missed his third straight game, and defenseman Dan Hamhuis (foot) sat out for the second game in a row. ... Chicago went back to a conventional lineup of 12 forwards and six defensemen after dressing seven defensemen Monday night in a 3-2 victory over St. Louis.
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