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Sharp, Khabibulin helps Blackhawks to second straight win

Nov 23, 2007 - 6:27 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- The Chicago Blackhawks have a simple winning strategy this season - take a penalty and score while shorthanded.

Jacob Dowell and Patrick Sharp each scored shorthanded goals to lead the Blackhawks to a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 30 shots for the Blackhawks, who have won two straight and five of their last seven games overall.

Sharp gave the Blackhawks the lead for good just 32 seconds into the third period with Chicago's league-leading 10th shorthanded goal, and fifth in the last two games.

"I can't really explain it," Sharp said. "It's getting opportunities, being aggressive and capitalizing."

With the game tied at 1-1, Sharp jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone that Flames defenseman Adrian Aucoin was unable to control at Chicago's blue line. Sharp has two shorthanded goals in the last two games.

"That's a tough play," Sharp said. "The puck was bouncing all the way back to the blueline. As soon as I saw it, I just rushed it all the way."

Dowell put Chicago up 1-0 with his first career goal in his first NHL game on a breakaway 5:30 into the second period. Flames forward Alex Tanguay misplayed the puck at Chicago's blue line, allowing Dowell a clean break. Tanguay made no attempt to pursue Dowell.

"I think I was more nervous the other day at my first practice," Dowell said. "The team got the win at the end and I got my first goal in my first NHL game."

"The first one was a bit of a miscue on a line change," Flames forward Jarome Iginla said. "The second one was a bad break. I thought we had our chances. Some games you win when you shouldn't and sometimes you don't get the result that you should."

Iginla tied the game for the Flames with a power-play goal at 12:17 of the second. Iginla banged home a centering pass from Dion Phaneuf at the top of the crease.

It was only the third time on the road this season the Blackhawks have given up a shorthanded goal.

"It was one of those nights," Blackhawks defenseman Brent Sopel said. "Even though we gave up 30 shots, a lot of them were from the outside. When you're on the road you just have to find ways to win."

Netminder Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 12 shots for Calgary, which was just 1-for-5 on the power play.