CHICAGO 2, DETROIT 1 Blackhawks still soaring
Kane, Crawford are the difference
DETROIT — Patrick Kane had a couple shots that simply could not be stopped.
Just like the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago extended its NHLrecord season-opening points streak to 22 games Sunday when Kane scored the tying goal on a power play with 2:02 left in regulation and the Blackhawks earned an extra point when the star forward scored the only goal in a shootout of a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
“Just amazing what’s going on,” Kane said.
Corey Crawford was perfect in the shootout and finished with 32 saves to help Chicago win its ninth straight game.
“He had several big saves, particularly right after they scored to go up one,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “He kept us in there to make it a one-goal game and gave us a chance.”
The Blackhawks have earned at least a point in 28 straight games — dating to a March 25, 2012 loss in regulation to Nashville — to tie the second-longest streak in league history. They’ve matched Montreal’s multi-season points run from the 1977-78 season and trail only Philadelphia’s streak of 35 straight games with at least a point during the 1979-80 season.
“It’s impressive,” Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard acknowledged after making 32 saves. “They’re finding different ways to do it every single night.”
It looked like Chicago’s sensational streak of success might end when Detroit’s Tomas Tatar broke a scoreless tie early in the third period and Howard stopped every puck that came his way.
Kane and Crawford had other ideas.
“We keep finding a way to keep ourselves in the game or win it at the end,” Kane said.
The Red Wings hurt their chances by getting called for delay of game twice toward the end of regulation for putting the puck out of play.
Chicago took advantage of the first of two late power plays with forward Viktor Stalberg getting more of the puck than Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey did, pushing it to Kane to set up a one-timer that made it 1-1.
Kane scored from the bottom of the right circle and pivoted toward the crowd, shouting with joy as he pumped his gloves toward the banner filled rafters.
“He knew the importance of it to get us to overtime,” Quenneville said.
NOTES: Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa, a former Red Wing, played in his 1,000th NHL game, a milestone that was recognized by the public address announcer amid a chorus of boos. … Chicago plans to have F Dave Bolland (upperbody injury) back in the lineup Tuesday at home against Minnesota. ... Detroit hopes F Valtteri Filppula, out with shoulder injury, can return by next weekend.