Hawks keep Sedin twins in check with shutout
For 15 seasons, Daniel and Henrik Sedin have been the face of the Vancouver Canucks franchise.
They have flummoxed every team in the NHL, and that certainly includes the Blackhawks on many occasions.
The most recent example came on Nov. 21 in Vancouver when the twins - taken 2nd and 3rd overall by Vancouver in the 1999 draft - combined for 4 goals and 5 assists in a 6-3 Canucks victory.
"We better be a lot more careful than the last time we saw them," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said before the teams met in a rematch Sunday night at the United Center.
Mission accomplished. And in a big way, as the duo combined for just 6 shots on goal in a 4-0 Blackhawks victory.
"I thought we did a good job on them for the most part tonight," Patrick Kane said. "They're still gonna get their chances, their still gonna get their looks. They'll always do that. Crow (Corey Crawford) was big when he had to make the saves."
The 35-year-old ageless wonders account for 31 percent of the Canucks' goals and 33 percent of their assists. They both figure to eclipse the magical 1,000-point mark next season as Daniel has 914 in his career and Henrik has 944. They also both registered more than 70 points last season, even as 34-year-olds.
"It's amazing," Kane said. "They've played the same way their whole career. They really haven't changed their style. No matter what era, or what kind of game it is, they still find ways to produce and be able to control games."
Glad he's back:
Bryan Bickell, playing in his fifth game Sunday since being recalled from Rockford, picked up his first point of the season in the third period, getting an assist on Dennis Rasmussen's goal that gave the Hawks a 2-0 lead.
Bickell could have had a goal on the play, but Rasmussen pushed the puck into the net just inches before it was going in anyway.
Before the game, captain Jonathan Toews said he's happy the Hawks' big man is back.
"Right from the start, he brought some energy," Toews said. "It was nice having him back in the room, regardless of what he can bring on the ice."
Big number:
Sunday against the Canucks, Marian Hossa played in his 1,200th NHL game. The 36-year-old winger is 9 goals away from the magical 500 number for his career. He has 152 of his 491 goals with the Blackhawks, the team he joined in 2009.
"He's done a lot for our team and I just like the way he approaches each and every game," coach Joel Quenneville said.
Said Patrick Kane: "Not only a great hockey player, but an unbelievable teammate. A great guy. I have the pleasure of sitting next to him in the locker room (for) a couple years now. He's been a blast to know as a friend. You can say all you want about how he plays the game, but he's an even better person off the ice."
Slapshots:
After being a healthy scratch for 17 straight games, David Rundblad was in the lineup for a fourth straight time Sunday vs. Vancouver. Michal Rozsival and Ryan Garbutt were the Hawks' scratches. … Ryan Hartman and Jake Dowell lead the Rockford IceHogs - the Hawks' AHL affiliate - with 17 points each. Hartman has the team lead in goals with 10. Rockford just had a five-game winning streak snapped by Grand Rapids on Saturday. Jeremy Morin scored the lone goal in a 4-1 loss.