Blackhawks 7 - 1 Red Wings
Final
  for this game

Blackhawks trample Red Wings to extend Central lead

Mar 31, 2013 - 8:41 PM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Brandon Saad and Dave Bolland each scored twice and Corey Crawford posted 33 saves, as the Chicago Blackhawks dominated the Detroit Red Wings, 7-1, on Sunday at Joe Louis Arena.

Jonathan Toews tallied a goal and two assists, while Jeremy Morin and Nick Leddy also lit the lamp for the Blackhawks, who have won six straight over the rival Red Wings.

Chicago, which owns a comfortable 16-point lead over Detroit atop the Central Division, has won two of its last three overall.

Cory Emmerton netted the lone Detroit goal, while Jimmy Howard allowed four goals on 14 shots before being removed early in the second period. Jonas Gustavsson gave up three goals on 12 shots in relief for the Red Wings, who have lost two straight.

"We didn't play hockey tonight whatsoever. It's tough when you spot them a few goals right away from the start," Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "You dig a big hole for yourselves and we couldn't find a way to get back. It was embarrassing at times."

Chicago opened the game with a flurry, as the Blackhawks buried three goals in a 1:39-span to seize control less than 4 1/2 minutes in.

The first came at the 2:33 mark after Leddy's shot from the left point missed wide and bounced into the crease. Howard alertly sticked the puck away, but it deflected off a body and landed back on the stick of Morin, who pounded it home from in close for a 1-0 lead.

Chicago doubled its edge just 48 seconds later when Michael Frolik slid a cross-ice feed to a cutting Saad on the left side. Saad then deked Howard with a slick backhand-forehand move before lighting the lamp at 3:21.

It went from bad to worse for the Red Wings from there, as Detroit defenseman Jakub Kindl was pressured by Jimmy Hayes near his own net under a minute later. Kindl tried to backhand the puck away from danger, but it ended up in the back of his own net and Bolland, who was the last Blackhawk to touch it, was awarded his sixth goal of the season to push the lead to 3-0 at 4:12.

"It's nice to get off to a good start," Saad said. "We got a couple of bounces and got a couple of goals and it was nice to play with the lead."

The Blackhawks then blew the game open with a pair of markers just eight seconds apart early in the second, with Saad having a hand in both goals.

Saad set up Toews for a one-timer from the slot at 3:52 before Toews won the ensuing faceoff back to Niklas Hjalmarsson, who chipped the puck deep into the Detroit zone.

Saad then outskated a Detroit defenseman and recovered the puck in the low left circle before greeting Gustavsson with a quick wrister through the five- hole to make it 5-0 at the 4:00 mark.

Bolland and Leddy each added a goal in the third to push the margin to 7-0 before Emmerton ended Crawford's shutout bid with his third of the season with under a minute left in the contest.

Game Notes

Chicago improved to 9-0-1 in its last 10 at Detroit ... Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg was a late scratch and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury ... Morin was making his season debut with Chicago ... Detroit finished 0-for-2 on the power play.






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