Another impressive win as Hawks make it an 8-of-11 run away
DALLAS - Patrick Kane just loves to play the Dallas Stars.
Kane scored his fourth goal against Dallas this season, Cristobal Huet stopped 30 shots, and the Blackhawks completed a season sweep of the Stars with a 3-1 victory on Saturday.
Defensemen Matt Walker and James Wisniewski also scored for the Blackhawks, who outscored the Stars 20-8 in their four meetings this season.
The Blackhawks were 6-2 winners a week ago at the United Center in the teams' previous matchup.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game and not as easy as the last time against them," Kane said. "To get a win here is pretty big."
Kane also had 4 assists against Dallas this season. He said the Stars' physical play brings out the best in him.
"I think when you get hit a lot, it kind of gets you in the game and makes you try to create more plays," he said.
Huet, making his fifth straight start while Nikolai Khabibulin is out with a lower-body injury, denied Jere Lehtinen on a first-period breakaway to keep the game scoreless. He also made a tough save against Fabian Brunnstrom from close range with 3:10 remaining.
Huet seemed headed for his second straight shutout and 21st of his career before Steve Ott scored on a breakaway with 8:29 left during a delayed Blackhawks penalty.
The Hawks wrapped up a stretch of 11 road games in a 12-game span, going 8-3 in the road contests to improve to 19-11-3 away from the United Center. They have eight of their next 10 at home starting Sunday against Minnesota.
The Hawks lost two in a row at home before the 11-of-12 road swing, and Wisniewski said being on the road for so long actually helped the team regain their focus.
"I think the road trip was the best thing for us," Wisniewski said. "We got back to playing playoff hockey, Chicago Blackhawk, high-intensity hockey. Just getting in there, flying around, buzzing around, and getting pucks on net, not being too pretty, too cute."
Marty Turco had 33 saves for the Stars, playing their second game since losing No. 2 scorer Brad Richards to a broken wrist.
"You can't take a player like that out and not feel it," Stars coach Dave Tippett said.
The Stars were 10-3 in their previous 13 games, but they continued their futility against the Blackhawks and missed an opportunity to gain ground in a tight race for one of the bottom four Western Conference playoff spots.
Wisniewski, who turned 25 on Saturday, scored his second goal of the season to put the Hawks ahead at 16:04 of the opening period. With the Hawks on a power play, he converted a one-timer from beyond the right circle.
Dallas got a break at 5:46 of the second when Kris Versteeg's attempt from the slot rang off the post.
Kane didn't miss at 7:23, firing a sharp-angled shot past Turco for his 19th of the season.
Walker's deflection with 16 seconds remaining in the second was his first goal of the season, bumping the Hawks' lead to 3-0.
"We've got some guys (on defense) who can hit the puck pretty hard and sometimes they go in," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.
Huet improved to 17-10-3.