Blackhawks Start Post All-Star Break Run With 3-2 Win Over Ducks
Thursday, January 29th, 2009 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports
The Chicago Blackhawks got off to the right start on Wednesday night with a 3-2 win over the Ducks in Anaheim. It was a great win for a few reasons. First, the Blackhawks had lost 3 of their last 4 games, so it was good to get a “W” under their belts. Second, the Blackhawks avoided a post-All-Star Break funk to start off the 2nd half of the season with an all-important victory. Third, the trip to Anaheim marked the 1st game of an 8-game road trip, so every win on the road will be a big one for the Blackhawks in their chase for a high seed in the NHL’s Western Conference.
The Blackhawks held a 2-1 advantage after the 1st period on goals by Adam Burish – his 3rd goal of the season – and Patrick Kane – his 17th goal of the season. The Blackhawks extended the lead to 3-1 just 3 minutes into the 2nd period on Jonathan Toews 14th goal of the season. Duncan Keith – in his first action in several games since suffering a concussion – assisted on the Toews goal. Blackhawks Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin did the rest. He allowed only 1 more goal the rest of the way to preserve the 3-2 win for the Blackhawks. Overall, Khabibulin saved 36 of 38 shots on goal and improved his record to 14-4-5 on the season.
Next up for the Blackhawks is another game tonight in the L.A. area – against the Kings at the Staples Center. The Blackhawks still hold the 4th seed in the Western Conference with a 46-26-12 record and 60 points. They still have a lot of work to do if they want to catch the Detroit Red Wings for the Central Division title – they trail the Red Wings by 9 points – but they still have a nice 7-point cushion over the Ducks and Coyotes for the 4th spot in the playoffs.
