Sharp And Kane Dominate Kings
(WSCR) - Both Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp scored for the Blackhawks leaving LA with a 2-1 defeat. Sharp's goal was the first scored during the game and came in the second period.
LOS ANGELES (AP) Patrick Sharp scored for the fifth time in six games to snap a scoreless tie, Patrick Kane also had a goal and an assist, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Saturday night to finish their annual "circus trip" 4-2-0.
Crawford started consecutive games for the second time this season and made 21 saves, after stopping 26 shots Friday in a 5-2 victory down the freeway in Anaheim. He lost his shutout bid with 5:02 remaining when Anze Kopitar beat him high to the glove side with a screened 45-foot slap shot in the slot during a 5-on-3 power play. Crawford has allowed no more than two goals in any of his last six starts.
The Blackhawks are off to a 13-11-2 start. Only six times since the NHL's first expansion in 1968-69 has a defending Stanley Cup champion failed to win at least half of its first 26 games - including the 1993-94 Montreal Canadiens, who beat the Kings in the 1993 finals. The worst start by any of those six clubs was by the 1991-92 Edmonton Oilers (10-14 with two ties).
This was the 25th time Chicago has played back-to-back road games against Kings and Ducks, and only the third time the Blackhawks have won both. It also happened March 9-11, 1994 and Feb. 4-6, 1996.
Los Angeles defenseman Jack Johnson attempted a one-timer from the high slot after one of his teammates' shots was blocked in front of the net, but Johnson fanned on the puck and the Blackhawks took off on a 2-on-1 rush against Drew Doughty as Johnson was caught up ice.
Kane held the puck as long as he could after drawing Doughty toward him, then slipped the puck to Sharp, who had a wide-open net to shoot at and easily one-timed it past Jonathan Quick's glove at 10:36 of the second period to open the scoring. Sharp has 15 goals in his first 25 games. Last season, he didn't get his 15th goal until his 45th game and finished with 25.
Kane, who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Blackhawks in overtime after a lengthy video review to help them end a 49-year championship drought, had to wait through another video review before his fifth goal of this season was upheld.
Tomas Kopecky made a blind backhanded pass toward the crease from the right corner, and the puck glanced off the oncoming Kane before caroming off the right post and across the goal line. The ruling was that Kane did not intentionally knock it in with his hand.
NOTES: Los Angeles has killed off all 38 short-handed situations at Staples Center, and is the only team that hasn't allowed a power-play goal at home this season. ... Chicago is 5-2-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets. Last season, the Blackhawks were 15-1-3.
Updated November 28, 2010
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