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Hawks’ Crawford gets back-to-back starts

Nikolai Khabibulin’s struggles likely cost him a start Sunday as Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville came back with Corey Crawford against Calgary in the second half of back-to-back games.

Crawford stopped 26 shots Saturday in a 5-1 win at Winnipeg.

“We always go into today’s game and look and see how he did and see how he’s doing,” Quenneville said. “We had a light week so that was part of it as well.”

Khabibulin is coming off two shaky starts where he allowed 10 goals, but four times last season Quenneville came with the same goalie in back-to-back games.

“We’ve got basically four weeks in a row with the same situation here,” Quenneville said. “We’ll see how it goes on throughout the month. Crow could have got this game as well.”

Crawford was ready to play for a second straight game.

“For me personally, I think it’s just how tough a game you have,” Crawford said. “How much work you have, travel too. There are a bunch of little factors that play into it, but Q is a smart coach. He knows how to control that.”

Rookie starts:Flames rookie goalie Reto Berra made his first NHL start Sunday in the hostile United Center.Berra made 18 saves in a scoreless first period.Joel Quenneville said the Hawks were making no special preparations for someone they had never seen.#147;We go over the goalies no matter who#146;s in net,#148; Quenneville said. #147;Whether you have a history of knowing how they move in the net, we know he#146;s going to be a big guy. We want to do what we do against most teams and that#146;s get pucks in traffic, get the second opportunities and see how he moves. Don#146;t try to be fancy and get as many pucks as we can and as many bodies to the net.#148;The 6-foot-4 Berra came to the Flames on April 1 as one of the pieces from St. Louis in the trade for defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.Injury report:Center Michal Handzus skated on his own Sunday but still missed his fifth straight game with an upper body injury.Joel Quenneville said Handzus was making progress.#147;We#146;ll see how long it is before he gets back into practice, but there is progress,#148; Quenneville said.Forward Brad Mills missed his second game in a row with a lower body injury.Tough blow:The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost center and former Hawk Dave Bolland indefinitely with a left leg laceration that required immediate surgery on Saturday night.Bolland had a tendon severed by the skate on Canucks forward Zack Kassian, who was finishing a check in the Toronto zone. Bolland had to be helped off the ice and eventually departed Rogers Arena on a stretcher.#147;Obviously it#146;s a blow for us,#148; said Toronto center Jay McClement. #147;He#146;s been really good for us in all situations.#148;

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