(Sports Network) - The Chicago Blackhawks emerged from their road-heavy start
to the season without a regulation loss. The NHL point leaders now get to
settle in for a lengthy homestand that begins on Tuesday evening against the
Anaheim Ducks.
The Blackhawks played 10 of their first 12 on the road and began the season by
winning their first six games, a span that included their only two home games
so far this season. Chicago then began a six-game swing with shootout losses
in Minnesota and Vancouver, but rebounded to win the final four games of the
trek.
The trip was capped with an exclamation point on Sunday, a 3-0 victory over
the Nashville Predators. Corey Crawford made 17 saves for his sixth career
shutout and Patrick Kane scored a goal for a fifth game in a row.
Kane has tallied seven goals in that span and has 10 points over a six-game
point streak. Jonathan Toews added his 150th career goal, while Marcus Kruger
also scored as the 'Hawks upped their league-leading point total to 22.
"It was a great trip from start to finish," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville
said. "The last couple of games were our best. Tonight, I was really pleased
with the way we started and finished the game and everybody contributed
again."
The Blackhawks won't play another road game until Feb. 28 in San Jose, but
Quenneville doesn't want his team to look any different on home ice than it
did during the road trip.
"We don't want to change anything," Quenneville said. "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."
Chicago will get a good test to begin the residency as it faces an Anaheim
club that has won five of its last six and is 8-2-1 on the season.
The Ducks have taken two of three so far on a six-game road trip and outlasted
the St. Louis Blues 6-5 in a shootout on Saturday.
Four Anaheim skaters scored in the breakaway frame and Viktor Fasth made 26
saves through overtime before stopping 3-of-6 in the shootout. Nick Bonino was
credited with the shootout winner, while Teemu Selanne had a goal and three
assists.
Bobby Ryan also had four points off two goals and two assists as Anaheim
bounced back from Friday's loss in Dallas, but had to overcome a 3-1 first-
period deficit in St. Louis to do so.
Anaheim has given up 16 goals in the first period this season
"We talked about not to be sluggish in the first period, but I don't know what
happened," said Selanne. "But in the second and third we were moving our legs
and forechecking and we got some momentum."
Fasth became the second netminder in Ducks history to win each of his first
five starts. He did not get a decision in relieving Jonas Hiller on Friday
after Hiller exited with a lower body injury. Jeff Deslauriers was recalled
from the minors to back up Fasth on Saturday.
The Blackhawks won three of four against the Ducks last season and have taken
seven of the last nine encounters in Chicago.
The Sports Network