Hawks first game without Kane a solid start
SUNRISE, Fla. - Teuvo Teravainen got off to a quick start in his first game since being recalled from the minor leagues.
Teravainen, taking the roster spot of the injured Patrick Kane, scored on his first shift and Corey Crawford earned his second shutout of the season in the Blackhawks' 3-0 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Teravainen got the puck in the right circle and wristed it past a defender and Roberto Luongo's glove 3:08 in.
It was the first game for the Hawks since losing leading scorer Kane, placed on long-term injured reserve Wednesday with a broken left collarbone suffered in Tuesday's 3-2 shootout win over the Panthers.
"Everyone needs to step up a little bit," Teravainen said. "I don't think too much (about replacing Kane). I just try to be myself. I'm living my dream right now."
Teravainen impressed Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville.
"He's very astute, there's an awareness to his game. That was a nice play," Quenneville said.
Brandon Saad also scored a goal before Jonathan Toews added an empty-netter with 46.8 seconds left.
The Blackhawks won their second consecutive game after previously losing three straight and beat the Panthers for the seventh straight time. The last time the Blackhawks lost to the Panthers was March, 8, 2011.
Crawford stopped 20 shots by a sluggish Florida offense, which took only four shots in the first period and didn't take its fifth shot on goal until 10:47 of the second.
"I didn't see too many pucks," said Crawford, who had lost his previous three starts. "That's a big win. We played well defensively, kept them to the outside for the most part, and the score showed it."
On Saad's goal, Duncan Keith made a nifty pass from the slot to Saad in the right circle. He shot past Luongo on the glove side early in the second period.
Saad is tied with Toews for the team scoring lead with 19 goals, and tied his career high, set last season.
Luongo made 26 saves for the Panthers, losers of four in a row and seven of their past nine. The Panthers have scored just four goals in the four straight losses.
"We just weren't good enough tonight," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said.
The Panthers hope to change their offensive woes with the acquisition of 22-year veteran forward Jaromir Jagr, the league's oldest player.
The Panthers acquired Jagr, who turned 43 earlier this month, from the New Jersey Devils earlier Thursday for two draft picks: a second-rounder this year, and either Florida's or Minnesota's third-round selection in 2016. Jagr had 11 goals and 18 assists in 57 games this season for New Jersey.
The Panthers are adding Jagr for an anticipated run at the playoffs, and Jagr can hopefully to jump start their offense.
"We're in a battle right now for the playoffs," Luongo said. "If you can bring something to our team, it's definitely going to be big for us. Hopefully he can add some offense on the power play and 5 on 5. We just want to keep it going and stay in the fight here."
Jagr is expected to arrive in South Florida on Friday, and to play when Florida hosts Buffalo on Saturday afternoon.
Gallant also is looking forward to the addition of Jagr.
"Bringing a guy like that in, it makes a statement for our club," Gallant said. "He's been around a long time and I think it's going to be good for our great young players."
NOTES: The Blackhawks have earned points in nine of their past 11 games. . Blackhawks D Johnny Oduya was scratched with an upper-body injury. ... Panthers forward Dave Bolland missed his second game with an upper-body injury.