Final
Blackhawks rip through Stars to gain NHL's best record
Dec 11, 2013 - 5:59 AM Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad both scored two goals and the Chicago Blackhawks ended the Dallas Stars' point streak at six games with a 6-2 win on Tuesday night.Michael Kostka and Patrick Kane also scored and Kane had two assists for the Blackhawks, who extended their road winning against the Stars to six games -- including two last month -- and pushed their NHL-best point total to 49.
Antti Raanta had 27 saves for Chicago on the same day the team announced Corey Crawford will miss around three weeks with a lower-body injury he suffered in the first period of Sunday's win against Florida, which snapped a three-game losing streak for the Blackhawks.
Dallas starter Kari Lehtonen gave up four goals on 19 shots before he was pulled 8:20 into the second period. Dan Ellis allowed two goals on 14 shots after that.
Antoine Roussel scored both goals for the Stars, whose point streak (3-0-3) included three points against the Blackhawks (1-0-1).
The teams played four times in a little over a month -- Chicago won three -- but Stars captain Jamie Benn said that kind of familiarity doesn't necessarily lead to games like this one, where one side blows the other one out.
"Every game's a new game," Benn said. "They just outworked us. That's pretty much all it is."
Kostka scored 2:03 into the game, his shot from the high right side hitting traffic in front and just sliding over the line off Lehtonen's glove. Kane made it 2-0 when he beat Lehtonen with a backhand on a breakaway at 12:05.
Chicago scored early in the second, too, on Saad's rebound at 2:26 and Sharp scored twice in a 2:48 span later in the period, first on a slapshot on the power play and then on a backhand to make it 5-0 with 11:08 elapsed.
"We were throwing the puck at the net and it was going in," said Kostka. "But we have to make sure we always keep our foot on the gas and don't let teams crawl back in once we get a lead. I'm pretty sure we did a good job tonight of that."
Roussel got Dallas on the board 2:28 later from in close but Saad's second of the period came in the final minute to restore the five-goal lead.
Roussel scored again in the final minute of the game on a deflection.
Game Notes
Dallas was 0-for-5 on the power play and Chicago went 1-for-5 ... The Blackhawks are home against Philadelphia on Wednesday ... The Stars play at Nashville on Thursday to start a three-game road trip.
- CHICAGO: 6
DALLAS: 2
Final
Dec 10 11:07 PM - CHICAGO: 6
DALLAS: 1
End of 2nd
Dec 10 10:11 PM - Chicago Power-Play Goal - Patrick Sharp (13), at 8:20.
Blackhawks 4, Stars 0 2nd - 11:40Dec 10 9:46 PM - CHICAGO: 2
DALLAS: 0
End of 1st
Dec 10 9:15 PM - Chicago Goal - Michael Kostka (2), from Marcus Kruger and Ben Smith at 2:04.
Blackhawks 1, Stars 0 1st - 17:56Dec 10 8:42 PM - CHICAGO: 0
DALLAS: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Dec 10 8:38 PM
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