Maybe, just maybe, the Blackhawks are getting on the kind of roll that has eluded them this season and prevented the Stanley Cup champions from breaking out of the logjam in the Western Conference standings.
The Hawks put together one of their better efforts this season Wednesday night to defeat the Avalanche 4-0 at the United Center for their third consecutive victory and eighth in their last 12 games.
Corey Crawford was rock-solid again in goal to earn his second shutout in a row — and third of his career — and got offensive support from Dave Bolland and Fernando Pisani, who each had a goal and an assist. Troy Brouwer and Jack Skille also scored and Brent Seabrook added two assists.
“The team’s playing really well,” said Crawford, who hasn’t allowed a goal in 126 minutes, 23 seconds. “We’re holding on to the puck and have a lot of puck possession. The last two games we’ve been skating really hard and we’ve been really fast. We’re making it hard on the other team.”
Crawford made 24 saves to improve to 14-3-1 in his last 18 starts and allow the Hawks, who controlled the pace throughout, to leap-frog Colorado in the conference standings. They recorded their first victory over the Avalanche in four meetings this season and upped their record to 24-18-3 overall and 15-11-0 at home.
Goalie Peter Budaj had problems controlling rebounds throughout the game and it cost him as the veteran suffered the loss for the Avalanche.
“The standings are so tight right now that every point matters,” Pisani said. “We’ve been playing well the last couple of games but (Wednesday night) was a good test for us to measure up against a team in our (conference). We’re clicking at the right time.”
Pisani and Bolland clicked together at two junctures to put the game out of reach. After Brouwer’s first-period goal off a Duncan Keith rebound gave the Hawks the lead, Bolland scored when he corralled a Pisani shot that sailed through the Avalanche crease and tucked it inside the left post.
In the second, while cruising into the slot, Bolland found a streaking Pisani with a perfect pass that the winger redirected past Budaj. Skille added to the onslaught midway through the third when he pounced on a juicy rebound of a Seabrook shot and scored.
“We have to keep it going,” Bolland said. “We can’t lay back now and think it’s just going to come easy for us. It’s just going to keep getting tougher and tougher as every game goes by. We have to keep it rolling.”
Crawford preserved the shutout when he stopped T.J. Galiardi on a breakaway with just less than seven minutes remaining in the third.
“We’re having fun here,” Seabrook said. “We have to continue to play this hard, physical, hard-working style and I think we’ll do well.”
