Emery continues to shine bright for Blackhawks

In his four starts with the Blackhawks, Ray Emery has done everything a team asks of its backup goalie.

That's collect points.

Emery improved his record with the Hawks to 3-0-1 on Friday with a 24-save effort in a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the United Center.

Emery was strong early when his teammates appeared sluggish and made the stop of the night on Curtis Glencross' breakaway late in the second period when a goal would have cut the Hawks' lead to 2-1.

“I thought Ray, right of the bat, we were a little careless with the puck early in the first five minutes of the game,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “I thought Ray had a special game for us.”

Yet, Emery wasn't named one of the game's three stars in a collective vote by the media.

“I was going to have the inquiry sign lit when I saw that,” Quenneville joked.

Emery's save on Glencross came after teammate Steve Montador lost control of the puck at his own blue line.

“I had a chance to kind of see the play develop so I got out and tried to stay big,” Emery said. “I don't think he had too much to shoot at so I tried to stay patient.”

It was the second game of a back-to-back set for the Hawks, who had Corey Crawford in net for Friday's win at Columbus. Emery knew he had to be ready in case the team came out tired, which is what happened.

“I expect to come out with a lot of energy,” Emery said. “A lot of times that's the reason you're playing the second game (as the backup), because you can bring some extra energy to the group that's traveled and played the night before.”

Quenneville thought it the best of Emery's four starts.

“He was big in a lot of ways tonight,” Quenneville said. “They were around the net and played a strong game.

“You've got to commend him on how he's come in here and what he's done for us, in the back-to-back games in particular.”

Defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook supplied the bulk of the offense for Emery with their first goals of the season.

Viktor Stalberg scored a huge goal with 3:11 to play on a great feed from Marian Hossa after Emery lost his shutout bit when Ollie Jokinen tallied with 9:10 to play to make it uncomfortable for the Hawks.

Keith pounded a slap shot past Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff at 12:09 of the first period on a long rebound while Seabrook's blast from the blue line through a Jonathan Toews screen came on a power play at 12:11 of the second.

“It was nice to get the first one and get a little momentum for our team,” Keith said.

“Duncs and Seabs, the last two nights, have played really well together and I think it's just a start for offense for those two guys and all our D-men,” Toews said.

Seabrook's goal was the third in two nights for a power play that had been 1 for its last 30 chances before Friday.

“It was a matter of time before the power play broke out and had some success,” Quenneville said.