Crawford, Blackhawks Blank Canadiens, 5-0
MONTREAL (AP) — Kris Versteeg scored twice, and Corey Crawford made 28 saves in his 11th NHL shutout as the Chicago Blackhawks ended a two-game losing streak with a 5-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
Jonathan Toews, netted his 200th NHL goal, and Brad Richards and Patrick Kane also scored for Chicago (7-5-1), which came off a 1-0 home loss to Winnipeg on Sunday. It was the first shutout of the season for Crawford, a Montreal native.
The Canadiens (8-4-1), winless in three games and 1-3-1 in their last five, absorbed a second straight lopsided defeat at home, following a 6-2 loss to Calgary on Sunday. Carey Price made 27 saves.
Montreal's P.A. Parenteau, David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher all missed early chances before Toews put Chicago ahead with a power-play goal at 11:19. The Blackhawks captain deflected in Duncan Keith's point shot.
The Blackhawks scored 9:56 into the second when Versteeg's pass from the corner went off Rene Bourque's leg and in on the short side.
Richards was at the doorstep to deflect Patrick Sharp's pass into the top corner 2:22 into the third period to make it 3-0.
Four minutes later, Sharp was helped off the ice after a check into the boards by Alexei Emelin. There was no immediate word on his condition.
Kane fought off a check from Dale Weise to finish a feed from Toews at 12:31. Versteeg scored his second of the night into an open side off of Bryan Bickell's pass.
Price made a spectacular save late in the first when he got his stick down to thwart Jeremy Morin on the doorstep, and then pushed a puck hovering in the crease over the net with his glove.
NOTES: The Blackhawks hadn't won in Montreal since Dec. 3, 2001. ... The Canadiens have allowed the first goal in 11 of 13 games and haven't held the lead after the first period this season. ... Chicago D Niklas Hjalmarsson played in his 400th NHL game. ... Michael Bournival played his first game of the season for Montreal. ... The Blackhawks juggled lines, putting Toews and Kane on the same unit.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
