Fast start propels Blackhawks to 4-1 win

If the playoffs began today, the Blackhawks would be facing the Dallas Stars.

But the question is: If the playoffs began today, who would be in net for the Blackhawks against the Stars?

After not starting a game since February, it was Corey Crawford back between the pipes when the puck was dropped at American Airlines Arena.

Crawford, whose last start came in late February, and who was pulled from that game and the game prior in favor of Ray Emery, was asked what it was going to take to convince coach Joan Quenneville that he should be the man down the stretch.

“Win games, stop pucks,” he said. “I just have to stay focused and be ready for every game.”

Mission accomplished ... with a little help from his friends, as the Hawks scored 2 goals in the game's first two minutes and did the very same thing in the third to roll to a 4-1 victory.

The Hawks are 6-1-1 in their last eight games.

Crawford (24-16-5) turned away 21 of 22 shots with the only blemish being Jamie Benn's goal late in the game. The Hawks remain the only team in the league yet to record a shutout.

But Crawford's performance in the second period when the Stars outplayed the Hawks and outshot them 11-6 proved his shining moment.

“He was big,” Quenneville told reporters. “They had traffic, they had two or three guys around the net, so I thought he was big. I thought he anticipated well and took away some of their next opportunities.”

Dave Bolland opened the scoring just 10 seconds in when he went high on Stars' goalie Kari Lehtonen. The goal was Bolland's 18th, but just his second in his last 20 games.

“It was one of those starts you kind of hope for once in a while,” Quenneville said.

About a minute-and-a-half later, Patrick Sharp beat Lehtonen up top for the first of his 2 goals of the night. Sharp continued to earn his road warrior status with his team-leading 18th goal away from the United Center.

After a rough second period, Marian Hossa allowed everyone to breathe a little easier when he scored on a one-timer just 33 seconds into the third. Sharp followed a minute later with the dagger as the Hawks improved to 39-25-8.

“It was like the start to the game; you go bing-bang and all of a sudden you have a nice cushion like that,” Quenneville said. “Obviously this was a huge win.”