The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t look good defensively on Thursday night, but they turned things around quickly on Friday as they shutout the Winnipeg Jets in a 2-0 victory at the United Center.
Patrick Kane scored a goal to extend his points streak to 25 games, and Jonathan Toews also scored his ninth goal of the season as the Blackhawks won for the third time in their last four games.
The Hawks got a power play early in the game as Adam Lowry was sent off for a penalty, and they scored in short order to take a 1-0 lead. David Rundblad set the play up as he fired a shot toward the front of the net, and after Andrew Shaw deflected it, it landed at the feet of Marian Hossa. He couldn’t put it home, but Toews was able to scoop it into the net to put the Blackhawks ahead by a goal.
The Jets gave up two more power plays as the period wore on, but the Blackhawks weren’t able to replicate the success of the first one. Fortunately, Chicago was able to limit Winnipeg’s chances dramatically in the period, and they held onto their lead through 20 minutes of play.
The Jets got a couple of power play chances of their own early in the second period, but they weren’t able to convert on those opportunities. The Blackhawks did a great job of blocking shots from getting to the net, and the Jets couldn’t make the necessary adjustments to add in extra traffic in front of Corey Crawford as he continued to hold them at bay.
As the second period wore on, the Jets continued to get chances, but it was Chicago that ended up scoring the critical goal to extend their lead. On a cross-ice pass from Teuvo Teravainen, Kane ripped home a shot from the bottom of the face-off circle to put the Blackhawks ahead by a 2-0 margin.
The Blackhawks gave the Jets another power play late in the period, but Crawford continued to play strong hockey. Despite the constant chances on the man-advantage, the Jets only managed 12 shots on goal in the first 40 minutes of play, and the Blackhawks held on to their two goal lead.
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The third period saw both teams crank up their offenses, but neither team could convert. The Blackhawks had a glorious 2-on-1 rush early in the frame, but Artemi Panarin’s shot was narrowly kicked aside, and the Jets remained within striking distance.
Andrew Shaw picked up a breakaway chance later in the frame, and although he couldn’t score, the Jets couldn’t muster any prolonged resistance. They ultimately fell short even with an empty net late in the game, and the Blackhawks picked up their second win in five days over Winnipeg.
The Blackhawks will next take to the ice on Sunday night when they welcome the Vancouver Canucks to the United Center.
